The End
by DeliriousAbsol
Summary: In a world ravaged by war, the Pokemon have been split into three groups - Outcasts, Heretics and Darkness. Two members of the Outcasts Guild - a Meowstic and her small Dedenne companion - stumble upon an odd discovery. Something that sparks a little hope amongst the Outcasts. The hope that one day, the Darkness just might be defeated and Pokemon can live in peace once more.
1. A World Shrouded in Darkness

**Full blurb - In a world ravaged by war started by a wicked Hydreigon, the Pokemon have been split into three groups - Outcasts, Heretics and Darkness. Two members of the Outcasts Guild - a Meowstic called Cleo and her small Dedenne companion Spark - stumble upon an odd discovery. Something that sparks a little hope amongst the Outcasts. The hope that one day, the Darkness just might be defeated and Pokemon can live in peace once more.**

**However, this discovery sets two assassins - an androgynous Zorua named Harlequin and a joker of a Banette named Enigma - after Cleo and her friends. What unfolds next is a roller-coaster of events that throw our heroes right into the epic battle between good and evil.**

**A/N - I've been working on this story for almost a year and have been hesitant to upload it until I was happy with the progress I've made. So far I've written 20 chapters and the word count has exceeded 60k, and I am no where near done. I intended this to be an epic, and it's turning out that way.**

**I don't want to give any spoilers in my authors notes, as I want readers to be pleasantly surprised and moved as they go through what I hope will be an emotional roller coaster as they enjoy the adventures the characters in this story go through.**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its characters or creations. Pokemon is (c) to Gamefreak, Nintendo, Creatures etc.**

Part 1

1 – A World Shrouded in Darkness

Barely a sound rose from the shadows cast by the trees as the setting sun stretched its dwindling rays through the canopy of the Winding Woods. Cleo trudged through the undergrowth, keeping her wits about her as any sensible Meowstic should, making as little noise as the rest of the wood's inhabitants – which were few and far between.

"Argh." The quiet groan came from the fur about her neck, followed by the head of a small Dedenne. "I'd give my _whiskers_ for a berry."

"It's not far now," Said Cleo. "We'll be at the Guild before sundown."

"My poor stomach worries you might be wrong."

"Your poor stomach will just have to trust me."

Cleo tapped the satchel at her side, briefly considering pulling out her map then deciding against it. If she stopped and distracted herself, they'd be easy prey. Dark Pokemon often lay in waiting to take out any of the Outcasts who thought it a good idea to wander at night. Granted it wasn't night yet, but the woods were pretty dark and she wasn't willing to take any risks that could put her or Spark in danger.

"Oh! Oh!" Spark covered her mouth with both paws, alarmed at the volume of her own voice, and after a quick look over her shoulder, pointed at the trees ahead. "I see light."

"Great." Cleo gave a half smile. "But your over-excitement has attracted some unwanted guests."

They looked up slowly into the grinning faces of three Weavile crouching amongst the branches.

"I spy with my little eye," Crooned one of them, "Two sitting Duckletts."

Spark growled and shook her tiny fist. "I have you know I'm hungry. And I'm not nice when I'm hungry. So get down here so I can kick your tails all the way back to the Shadowlands!"  
"Big words from such a tiny squirt of a rodent."

The other two Weavile burst into fits of laughter.

"What did you call me?!" The Dedenne shot from Cleo's shoulder and landed a foot in front of her, stretching herself up to her full five inches of height. "Are you making fun of my size?!"

The Weavile's laughter echoed through the branches as they continued to throw jeers at the Dedenne.  
Cleo took a step back, not from the Weavile, but because she knew full well what was going to follow next. The overconfident smirks on their wicked faces were wiped clean as a flash of electricity shot from Spark's body and sent all three Weavile dropping from the branches to the damp woodland floor. Their bodies jerked for a moment as static danced across their fur.

Spark crossed her arms. "Who's laughing now?"

Cleo moved to her side and looked down at the fallen Pokemon.

"You could have gone a little easier on them," She said.

"That would have taken effort," Said Spark. "And I'm already hungry as it is."  
Cleo sighed. "Well, we might not be able to milk them for information but at least we can see what they have on them."

"I'm already on it." Spark's tail poked out of the lead Weavile's bag. "No berries though. Darn."

"Any gold?"

"Oh there's plenty of that!" The little Dedenne pushed as much loot out of the bag as she could for Cleo to collect before vanishing back inside. She popped out again quickly, holding a small glass tube in her hands. "What's this though?"  
Cleo took it and turned it around in her paws. It had a cork stopper forced firmly in place, but what it had inside looked like pink liquid.

"Is it Pecha Juice?" Spark asked.

"Why would they juice it?" Cleo shrugged and stuffed it in her bag. "We can ask at the Guild. I think we've got enough, let's move on before any more of their gang arrive."  
Spark leapt back onto the Meowstic's shoulder and they moved through the trees, picking up pace to reach the light before it faded with the setting sun.

As they left the woods, the dwindling light was almost blinding after the darkness of the trees. They blinked a few times as they focused on their surroundings. Before them lay a stretch of grass that ended at a low stone wall. Beyond that was a little wooden town, the likes of those built quickly by Outcasts who were always on the run in an attempt to reach safety.

These little wooden towns were rarely inhabited for more than a season or two, and needed to be built up quickly over a short period of time. As such they were often flimsy and made of anything that can be found quickly and cheaply, but preferably free. Near woods was the best place to erect them, however that also meant they were easy targets for any Dark Pokemon that may be lurking nearby.

Cleo quickly vaulted the wall and trotted along the dirt path that ran through the rickety little town. It was quiet, only a handful Pokemon left outside. A Meinshao cut in front of her, walking with the confidence and posture of a member of the Night Watch.

"What business do you have?" He asked firmly.

"We're looking for the Guild," She explained, gesturing to the sun-shaped badge on her bag. "We're members."

"We?"

Spark poked out her head. "Yes, we. Where is it?"  
"Oh." The Meinshao seemed a little taken aback. "It's the large building over there." He pointed behind him. "You can't miss it."  
"Thank you." Spark retreated back into Cleo's fur.

"By the way." Cleo nodded back to the woods. "We ran into three Weavile. You may want to take them into custody, but be careful. There may be more of them."  
The Meinshao's eyes widened and he nodded his understanding before returning to his allies.

The Guild Hall stood tall and proud amongst its hastily built surroundings, the Outcasts obviously taking more pride in its appearance. Guild buildings existed in every Outcast town to accommodate its travelling members and to look after those in the town who were struggling or unable to care for themselves.

Cleo flashed her badge at the Combusken on the door and went inside.

"Ahh Cleo!" A Riolu ran over to her and took her paw, giving it a firm shake. "I thought you might arrive today."  
"Oh Tinker..." Cleo snatched her paw back. "What are you-"  
"We're just starting the evening meal if you wish to join us?"  
"Yes!" Spark shot from Cleo's shoulder and followed a stream of Pokemon into the dining hall.

"Please excuse her," Cleo told him. "Food has been a little scarce over the past few days."  
"That is a growing problem now the cold season is closing in." Tinker scratched his nose. "Be sure to take some supplies with you before you go rushing off again."  
They joined the other Pokemon in the dinner hall, which was bustling with Guild members and local Pokemon of all shapes and sizes. Voices filled the air in a blend of friendly discussions, news and requests for various food. A large table filled the middle of the room holding a vibrant spread of berries, apples and dried meat. Spark perched on a log stool between an elegant Furret and a friendly-looking Snubbull, tucking into a plate of berries.

Cleo and Tinker sat down on the other side of the Furret.

"So, Cleo." Tinker poured her a glass of berry juice. "What adventures have you been getting up to since I saw you last?"  
"Just rounding up rebels and helping Pokemon when I'm needed." She piled a plate with dried fish and tucked in. She would have to wait until they were out of the dining hall before she mentioned the Weavile, otherwise she risked getting the other Pokemon into an uproar.

"Staying out of trouble then?"  
Cleo shot him a sideways glance. "I don't make a habit of running head first into danger you know."

"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but you're the only Pokemon I know who would run blindly into a crowd of Dark Pokemon to get at their leader for the sake of a bounty."  
"It's not just the bounty," She said flatly. "They're more willing to talk when you take their leader out."

"They're also more likely to riot."  
Cleo snorted and took a swig of her berry juice.

"Sorry for being a worrier," He went on, "But you're one of the best warriors the Guild has to offer, if not _the_ best, yet you're so unwilling to take any extra help with you except your oddly small comrade."  
Cleo almost choked on her juice. She snapped to look round at Spark. Luckily the Dedenne hadn't heard Tinker's words, too occupied with filling herself full of Oran berries.

"Spark's a great ally," She told him. "She's perfectly capable of watching her own back as well as mine. I never have to carry her in a battle and she never has to carry me. We're the perfect team. Any one else would just be a burden."  
"Because you'd have to worry about them?"

Cleo said nothing, instead stuffing dried fish in her mouth.

"Well I can't make you take another partner." The Riolu shrugged. "However, I can offer you a room for the night, or longer if you wish."

"Just the one is fine. We're on our way back to New City."  
"Very well." Tinker finished his juice and stood up. "I'll meet you in my office when you're ready."

Cleo picked up her empty plate and stood up, depositing it on a shelf and following the Riolu from the room.

His office was situated at the back of the building. A long desk stretched across the back wall, adorned with various nicknacks that probably had many uses that one wouldn't expect. Another door stood aside from the table with 'keep out' painted on it in bright red letters. Papers lay strewn over tables and the floor, etched with writing and elaborate diagrams that Cleo didn't care to examine too closely. She tiptoed around them to join Tinker who had taken a chair by his desk, flicking through some paperwork.

"You ran into some trouble on the way here, didn't you?" He asked.

"Yes. How could you tell?"  
"I have a note here that says the Night Watch has gathered three Weavile from the woods."  
"Ahh." Cleo nodded. "I was going to mention that. I was worried there may be more."  
"Did you get any information off them?"  
"No." She rummaged through her bag and pulled out the glass tube. "Spark found this in the boss's bag, however."  
Tinker took it and sat back in his chair, turning it in his paw. His eyes scanned over it, the right one not focusing like the other. Cleo was aware it was a fake, but she'd never asked how he'd ended up with it.

"Suspicious?" She asked.

"I don't know. I'll examine it later." He dropped it on the table and picked up a small brown pouch. "Those Weavile did have a bounty on their heads. I am obligated to give it to you."  
He tossed the pouch and Cleo caught it. "I had no idea."

"Yes, they've been terrorizing some of the inhabitants of this town, causing them to move three times in one season. We've taken them into the Guild for safety but... they'll be pleased to know that gang will be gone before dawn."

Cleo didn't desire to know what the Night Watch would do with the Weavile. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind and stuffed the pouch into her bag.

"Do you know if they've managed to get any information out of them?"

"Not as of yet. Its probably another army sent to extend the reign of Darkness and gain more territory. However, they'll be sure to tell me, and when they do I'll let you know." He glanced at her. "Provided you'll use it wisely."

"Always." She sighed. "I think I'm going to call it a night. I'll see you in the morning, if our paths cross."  
"Very well. Good night."

Cleo left his office and poked her head back into the dining hall. Spark sat back on the log stool with a paw over her stomach looking fully satisfied with her meal. Cleo caught her eye and the Dedenne climbed to her feet and dragged herself out of the dining hall.

"That was a great meal," She said with a yawn. " A good sleep is what I need now!"

...

A flight of stairs led up to a chamber of small rooms, each one with a bed of fresh hay. Cleo had split it into two for her and Spark. The Dedenne had fallen asleep no sooner had her head touched the hay, but Cleo lay on her back staring at a large map. She'd marked on it the various places they'd travelled, shading in black the places taken over by the Hydreigon. Several cities, towns and islands had red crosses through them – neither under the rule of Darkness nor safe for the Outcasts to retreat to.

Large areas of black consumed the entire northern portion of the map, covering a large continent and taking over a third of the west. This had been named the Shadowlands, a large area that lay under the Hydreigons' rule, inhabited by dark and dragon Pokemon and unsafe for anyone not in their ranks to step foot on. Purple covered the lower part of the west, and large chunks of the south, leaking into the eastern regions. These marked the Heretics, a fanatical group who lived so much in fear of Hydreigon they practically worshipped the Darkness, trying anything they could to appease them in exchange for their lives. They were almost as bad as the Darkness themselves if they were to cross paths with the Outcasts and were better off left completely alone.

The rest of the map showed which areas were still safe for the Outcasts. Cleo's eyes fell to an area in the east, a two day walk from where they were now. She hadn't marked it for fear of her map falling into enemy hands, but she knew well enough where it was – New City, the safest place for Outcasts. A secret city hidden underground, known only to those in the Guild and the Pokemon that inhabited it.

She sighed and folded her map, sliding it back into her satchel, then fell onto her back and stared at the ceiling. One thing was bothering her. Why were those Weavile in the woods? They'd apparently caused the Pokemon in this town to move several times, so they could have been planning another attack. Yet there were only three of them. Against the Night Watch and the Guild's warriors, they wouldn't have stood a chance. This meant they were either alone and the Pokemon here weren't their target, or there were more of them waiting somewhere. Maybe they were waiting for reinforcements? Whatever the case, she feared the Outcasts here were in a lot of danger.

This little town may soon end up being nothing more than another red cross on her map.

...

**I hope you enjoyed chapter 1. Please R&amp;R! If you want to follow progress, I'm on Twitter. Look for DeliriousAbsol.**


	2. Mischief

**A/N - I was going to upload this tomorrow but I thought it better to just do it tonight instead. I'm going to try and upload two chapters a week though, or at least one a week. I've been powering through this story recently and I'm keen to know what you readers think. Therefore another upload will help show I am actively working on this.**

**I admit it's a little slow to start but hopefully this chapter will keep you interested =)**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its creations! Like I said in Chapter 1, it belongs to Nintendo, Gamefreak etc.**

2 – Mischief

A loud, deep siren echoed through the Guild. Cleo and Spark sat bolt upright, almost flying off their beds of hay. The siren quickly subsided, followed by many voices as Pokemon raced down the hallways of the Guild's sleeping chambers.

Spark rubbed her head and sighed. "I will never get used to that."

Cleo's eyes scanned the room and fell on a wooden pipe near the ceiling. The breakfast alarm. After years of moving from Guild Hall to Guild Hall, she'd never been in one long enough to grow accustomed to each individual alarm.

She hoisted herself from the bed and followed Spark into the hallway, joining the crowd of Pokemon to the dining hall.

"I should make a point of filling myself right up!" Said Spark. "We might not see much food for a little while."

"You knock yourself out," Said Cleo. "I'm going to grab some supplies, then we're leaving."  
Spark's large eyes grew even larger. "You're not having any breakfast?!"

"I can eat while I'm packing. Don't worry." She gave a dismissive wave of her paw and moved past the dining hall to a small elevator.

The Dedenne shrugged and slipped into the dining room, leaving Cleo to her own endeavours.

The little elevator wasn't much more than a wooden box with a rope and pulley system. Every Guild Hall had a similar layout and one thing they all had in common was their supplies were kept in the basement. The elevator creaked and wobbled as Cleo worked the rope to take herself down into the shadows. The smell of damp earth and wood reached her nostrils and she crinkled her nose. It wasn't the best condition to store supplies, but in a temporary town, and during times like this, one couldn't very well complain.

A flicker of light came from the far corner.

"Sending them up!"

A low creak echoed through the room.

Cleo's eyes adjusted in the dark and she could make out the body of a Charmander in the corner, the light coming from his tail. He looked back at her and gave her a smile.

"You're Cleo right?" He asked.

She nodded and joined him, digging through boxes of fruit and dried meats. The creak resounded sharply, grating through the damp air.

"Tinker told me you might be coming down here for supplies." He turned to a small box in the wall – another pulley system – and dropped a basket of berries onto it. He poked his head inside and shouted, "Sending them up!"

The box whizzed out of sight, its pulley creaking and groaning, and he turned back to the storage.

"I've set some things aside for you already, if you want it?" He told her.

Cleo looked up. The Charmander held out a little sack. She held out her paw then withdrew it slowly, keeping her eyes warily on the bag of fruit. Yes, this was the Guild, but still... you never know who to trust in this world.

The Charmander smiled and put the bag down. "I get it. Go ahead, take your pick, I don't mind." He returned to his job, filling baskets with various food.

Cleo turned back to the boxes and picked out a variety of berries and dried fish, stuffing her supply bag full and tucking it away inside her satchel, placing the pouch of money Tinker had given her near the top for easy access.

When she'd done, she stuffed a dried fish in her mouth and took the elevator back to the main floor to collect Spark from the dining hall.

The Dedenne had finished her breakfast and was waiting by the door with a large apple in her paws. She beamed at Cleo and handed it to her.

"I smuggled you this from the table!"

Cleo chuckled and took it from her. "Thanks! Let's leave, it's a two day walk to New City."

"Two days?" Spark whined. "Well, at least we're closer than we were yesterday, right?"

"Certainly. Have you seen Tinker this morning?"

Spark shook her head. "Nope. He wasn't at breakfast."

"Hmm." Cleo shrugged and made for the door. "We'll see him again soon enough. Let's go."

The small Dedenne hopped onto her shoulder and vanished into her fur. She poked her head back out briefly.

"Where's the first stop?"

"The markets. We have supplies, but we might find something useful there."  
Spark fist-pumped the air and cheered. "Yay! Shopping!"  
The sun was beaming down on them as they left the Guild, but the air was filled with a fresh chill that marked the beginning of the cold season. There were more Pokemon outside than there had been the night before – youngsters playing, older ones standing around chatting or running errands.

Cleo followed the dirt path towards the market, not too far from the Guild. This was a common set up in Outcast towns. The Guild building often offered the sense of security to the Pokemon that stayed there and this went for the market too – if the market was set up near the Guild not only would it attract more Pokemon to it, it would also be close to the town's warriors should danger arrive.

The market was oddly busy. A lot of the Pokemon there probably didn't reside in this town, passing through merely to shop or look for somewhere to stay.

Market stalls were laden with fruits, meat – both fresh and dry – and eggs. Some stalls had items for use in battle, which was what Cleo was especially hoping to find. Sometimes, though not often, she found something that really gave her a boost. Failing that, there were sometimes bargains she could sell herself later on.

She paused and gave the table a glance over. Mostly it was filled with mental herbs and gems, but unfortunately lacking psychic gems. She moved on through the market, then paused. One of the stalls was selling iron thorns. Now they could be useful.

_Whump!_

Cleo stumbled under the impact, startling a nearby Linoone and her daughter.

"Whoa!" Spark poked her head out of Cleo's neck fur and shook her tiny fist. "Watch where you're goin'!"

Cleo shook herself to regain her composure then looked up. A small, fluffy Pokemon was skipping away out of sight. She narrowed her eyes. A Whimsicott.

She sighed and turned back to the market stall, stuffing her paw into her satchel for her money pouch. Her claws instead closed over something cold and smooth. She pulled it out and glared at it. A rock?

"Hey!" Spark cried. "Have we been robbed?!"  
Cleo clutched the stone and scanned the crowd of Pokemon for the Whimsicott. It had long since vanished. She sighed and strutted through the crowd, keeping a watchful eye for the little thief.

"Well," She said. "That's our earnings gone. We'll have to rely on our supplies until we reach the next town now."  
Spark slumped onto Cleo's shoulder, defeated. "Great. Now we've got to hunt more bad guys."

"I wouldn't worry too much about the hunting. They normally come to us."  
The Dedenne snorted. "Well, I'd ra- wait..." She sat up and pointed. "Is _that_ the Whimsicott that robbed us?"

Cleo followed her pointing claw to the furry back of a skipping Pokemon making its way to the town's outskirts.

"Yes it is!" Cleo dropped the rock she'd been carrying and bolted towards the Whimsicott.

The thieving Pokemon turned his head at her footsteps and his orange eyes widened. He let out a yell, turned and ran.

"Oi!" Spark shot from Cleo's shoulder like a dart. "Get back here!"

Cleo picked up pace. The Whimsicott was fast, but Spark was faster. All Cleo had to do was catch up with the Dedenne and she could reach the pesky thief.

Spark unleashed a flurry of electricity, hitting the Whimsicott and causing him to stumble as sparks danced across his body.

Now was her chance. Cleo unfurled her ears and her eyes flashed. The Whimsicott was launched into the air... where he flailed helplessly against the invisible force that held him.

"Now." Cleo came to a stop before him, lowering him enough so he could both see and hear her. "Are you going to give back what you stole from us?"

"Oh, darn it!" The Whimsicott closed his eyes and sighed. "I can't! I need it... I think."  
"What kind of answer is that?!" Spark shrieked. "You can't just go around taking things that don't belong to you just because you _need_ them!" She paused. "Especially if you're not _certain_ you need them!"

"And why replace it with a rock?" Cleo asked. "It's not as if I didn't notice you'd ran into me."

"I switcheroo'd," He explained. "It's all I know for pickpocketing."  
Cleo and Spark stared at the levitating Whimsicott, both of them fixing him with looks of confusion.

"Awfully talkative for a thief," Said Spark.

"She's right," Said Cleo. "Why would you explain yourself? Most other Pokemon I pump for information are unwilling to give it up."  
"You caught me," He shrugged.

"But... you're a bad guy," Said Spark. She then covered her face with her paws. "Urgh, what a cheesy line..."

"I'm not a bad guy," Said the Whimsicott. "I'm just... lost."

"Then you're in the same situation as the rest of us," Said Cleo. "Most Pokemon these days are lost."  
"Not that kind of lost." He sighed and reached into his fluffy white fur, pulling out the money pouch. "Look, I'll give it back. But... can you help me?"

He tossed the money pouch to Cleo and she caught it, releasing the Whimsicott and letting him fall to the floor on his bottom.

"I'm sorry, I don't help Pokemon. I just stop the ones that try to hurt us." She stuffed the pouch back in her satchel and walked past him with Spark back on her shoulder.

He stood up and followed after them. "I'm not asking you to go out of your way to help me. I'm just asking if you can keep me company for a while."  
"Company?" Cleo looked back at him. "I'm afraid I don't do that either."

"Why not?"

"You never know who's going to turn round and stab you in the back." She turned away from him and kept on walking.

"Well it won't be me!" He said. "My claws aren't even that sharp! Hey, I'll just follow you. You'll barely know I'm here. My name's Mischief by the way."  
Cleo grit her teeth together. If he was going to insist on following them, the best thing she could do would be to remain silent and hope he'd get bored and go away.

...

The temporary Outcast town was behind them now, and the voices of its occupants had long faded away. The sun was high in the sky, spending most of its time lurking behind fluffy white clouds. Cleo and Spark moved on in silence, not wanting to spark any communication with their tag-a-long thief. The only noise that reached Cleo's ears was that of her own footsteps and the occasional breeze rustling the leaves in the nearby foliage. The ground had grown more hostile, large chunks of jagged rock jutted up from the ground, shoved out of place by trees and large weeds that had exploded through once small cracks. Tufts of thick grass sprouted up alongside stretches of rugged landscape dotted with colourful flowers that struggled against strangling thorn bushes and brambles.

Cleo had no idea where she was, but from her map all she knew was she needed to keep pressing forwards to reach New City.

"Hey Cleo." Spark poked her head out of her friend's fur. "We're still being followed."

"I'm aware."

"Yes, but I'm getting hungry and I'd like to stop soon for some lunch."

Cleo let out a sigh and slowed down, coming to a stop beside a berry tree. Its branches held very few berries. Most of them had obviously been harvested by the Outcast town or raided by wandering, hungry Pokemon.

The Meowstic sat down against its trunk and pulled a berry out of her satchel for Spark.

"Is it lunch time already?" Mischief asked. "Time sure flies with company doesn't it?" He skipped over with the typical Whimsicott gait and looked up at the tree.

Cleo and Spark said nothing, both wishing the Whimsicott would leave them alone.

With a hop, he floated up into the tree's branches sending a flurry of dry leaves down on top of them. Within moments, he floated back down with two bright red Cheri Berries in his paws.

"Argh!" Spark dropped her berry to the floor and leapt off Cleo's shoulder. "I can't take it any more! I'm gonna have to say something!"

Cleo stared at her from the corner of her eye. Mischief fixed her with a wary look, standing only a couple of feet away.

"Why are you following us around like a Growlithe pup?!" Spark demanded. "What do you want?!"  
Mischief glanced up at the sky in thought then looked back at her. "Company."  
The little Dedenne put her paws on her hips. "Seriously?!"

"What Spark's trying to say," Said Cleo, "Is first you rob us, then you start following us around. Why?"

"Well..." Mischief scratched his fluffy head. "Thieving isn't really my style. At least... I don't think it is. I didn't like it anyway."

Cleo narrowed her eyes. "You... don't _think_ it is..."

"No, not really." Mischief gazed up at the sky. "See, I don't really know why I am to be honest. I only woke up this morning, around about here actually." He indicated the floor. "I think... I'm lost. I don't know."

Cleo and Spark stared at him, dumbfounded. Something he said wasn't right. A lot of Pokemon slept outside (although it wasn't the safest option given the state of the world) but something about this Pokemon was off.

"Where are you from?" Cleo asked.

"Oh that I know!" The Whimsicott grinned. "I'm from the clean clace."  
Cleo and Spark blinked.

"The what?"

"The clean place! They were really nice there. Those I remember anyway. Although I only remember being surrounded by other Pokemon, and being called Mischief. Then I woke up here." He indicated the floor again.

Cleo and Spark followed his paw, then looked back up at him.

"So you woke up here?" Spark asked. "Or just outside?"

He shrugged. "Somewhere around here. I went to the town because there were Pokemon there, and I was hungry. That tree has berries though. But it's very quiet out here, and I'm used to busy places."

"Where is this 'clean place'?" Cleo asked.

He shrugged again. "I don't know. I never saw outside. I don't think... I can't remember."

Spark looked up at Cleo. "I think he's had his memory wiped."  
Cleo shook her head. "He remembers too much for that." She looked up at the Whimsicott. "Mischief... your story doesn't settle well with me. But I don't think you're lying."  
He shook his head. "I'm not lying. At least I don't think I'm lying."

"Your memories seem to have been tampered with. Can you remember any Pokemon from this 'clean place'?"

He looked thoughtful again, then shook his head. "Their faces are just blurs to me. I remember they were nice though. And excited, but I can't remember why."

Cleo made a thoughtful noise and looked down at her dried fish. A silence passed between them, broken by momentary munches from Mischief as he tucked into his freshly picked berries.

"You're thinking of helping him aren't you?" Spark asked quietly.

"Not so much helping," Cleo replied. "But I think it would be better to have him with us."  
Spark crinkled her nose. "Why?"

"So we know where he is. I have a funny feeling..." She scratched her head and sighed. "Mischief, if you want company, you can stay with us."

The Whimsicott's eyes lit up and he quickly licked juice off his paws. "Really?"

"Yes." Cleo finished her fish and stood up. "Maybe you'll regain your memories soon and can go home."

"That would be nice." He grinned. "Where are you two going?"

"Guild business." She adjusted her satchel and let Spark hop onto her shoulder. "I'm Cleo, and this is Spark. Keep up, we won't be slowing down for you."  
"You had problems catching me before, so you know I can keep up." Mischief skipped along beside them. "I think this is going to be fun."  
Cleo shook her head slowly and sighed. If Tinker could see her now – the lone Meowstic who refused to take an extra partner – he'd probably roll onto his back with laughter.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	3. Massacred

**A/N - Thanks for the subscriptions to this story! I really appreciate it ! I've been mass-breeding Cottonee for a competitive Whimsicott for the upcoming UK Nationals. As a thanks to you subscribers, I have seven male breedjects looking for a home with between 3-5 IVs, Prankster and the egg move Encore. I can nickname them Mischief and send them out if you would like? Just subscribe if you haven't already, PM me your friend code (mine is on my Twitter account DeliriousAbsol) and I can send them out next week. Of course, there are time zones but I think we can work around that =) the first seven to contact me get one =D depending on success, I may breed more characters later XD**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

3 – Massacred

Cleo was beginning to grow worried. If finding a suspicious Pokemon with fragmented memories wasn't worrying enough – not to mention the possibility it could all be a ruse – it was becoming night time and there seemed to be nowhere reliable to sleep. Spark was battling to stay awake on her shoulder, her large, round ears twitching at every noise, most of which came from behind them as Mischief occasionally stood on a brittle twig or dry clump of tough grass. It made more noise in the dark than his light-footed gait should have allowed, or it was just the Meowstic's sensitive hearing. Either way it made him sound deceptively heavy.

Another worry was what they would do when they reached New City. They couldn't let a non-Guild member into the city, it was too risky. He could be a spy, or even an infiltrator planning to cause problems or a sneak attack. Letting an unauthorised Pokemon into a protected area, one who could possibly slip away and alert the Heretics or Hydreigon's troops to the city's existence was just too risky.

"I think we're just going to have to take risks," Spark finally said, "And use the tent."

"It'll stand out too much on this route," Cleo answered quietly.

"So will three travelling Pokemon."

"Yes, but I'd rather be awake and able to defend my life than be asleep and unaware of enemies."

"We could keep lookout?" Mischief suggested.

Cleo glanced back at him sharply, trying to mask the fact his voice had surprised her.

"Hmm." She looked back down the long road, fading into the dark horizon. "That's not a bad plan."

"Great." Spark yawned widely. "Shall I start?"

"No." Cleo pulled a dark blue sheet of cloth from her bag. "I'll start-"

"I'll go first," Mischief quipped. "It's the least I can do for letting me travel with you."

Cleo glanced back over her shoulder at him, wanting to remind him that he'd forced his presence on them, but stopped herself and instead sighed as she threw the cloth over a low hanging branch.

Spark busied herself on the floor, stabbing long pins into each of the four corners. It was a simple tent that failed to keep out drafts but did keep the rain off. Its simplicity allowed for one to quickly move on without messing around with more intricate structures.

Cleo took a step back from the tent and looked at Mischief. "Are you sure you don't want to sleep?"  
He shook his head. "No, no. I'll take first watch. You sleep."

Cleo sighed again and ducked into the tent, curling up on the dry ground next to Spark. She watched Mischief as he seated himself in the entranceway with his back to them. She closed her eyes, but she had no intention to sleep.

Mischief might seem friendly, but she had her doubts. He'd come from nowhere, tried to rob her, then suddenly showed himself to be a friendly, chatty and rather annoying Pokemon who insisted on being their shadow.

Then there was this 'clean place', somewhere that seemed to be a mystery even to him, unless this fragmented memory he seemed to be suffering was an act. She couldn't take any risks if he was hiding something.

And if they fell asleep and he did turn out to be an enemy...

Her eyes snapped open and she stared at the dark wall of the tent. No, she couldn't risk sleeping. That would have to wait until they reached New City.

...

The night had been uneventful. Cleo hadn't slept, even after Spark and Mischief swapped places. She'd taken the last watch in a hope it would mask the fact she'd not slept, but Spark had noticed straight away.

"Is it that obvious?" Cleo had asked under her breath.

"Of course. You're eyes are bloodshot," The Dedenne chuckled. "Although he probably won't notice since you've been firing leers at him since the moment he crashed into you."

So that was that. They moved on in silence, the road as desolate and eerily quiet as it had been the previous night. It was unnerving to those not used to it, but Cleo and Spark were indeed used to it. Most of the Pokemon that had lived in this area had either been chased out or had gone to seek refuge in New City.

Time seemed to drag. The sun was high above them, clouds occasionally blocking out the light as they rolled through the sky.

'_Not far now._' Cleo squinted into the horizon. Of course, New City wasn't visible to the naked eye, it was just a habit.

Vibrations thrummed through the air and she came to a halt, her body freezing as she slowly looked up at the sky.

"You have to be kidding me," She scoffed. She turned to Mischief and nudged him off the road. "Get into the trees."

With a glance over her shoulder, she followed a confused Mischief into the foliage. If it was what she thought it was, it wouldn't be able to spot them easily in the sunlight.

The thrumming noise grew louder, splitting through the air with an almost ear-splitting ferocity. Cleo looked up through the canopy. It was right above them now, solidifying her fears.

It was a Noivern.

Usually a nocturnal Pokemon and a force to be reckoned with in the dark. Whatever it was doing here she didn't want to find out.

They would just have to wait until it had passed and was out of sight before continuing on to New City.

"Found some!"

The voice had come from above them. They looked up sharply, and Cleo's blood turned to ice in her veins.

Murkrow! Sitting nonchalantly in the branches of the canopy. The flock burst out in fits of shrill giggles.

The Noivern's yellow eyes turned towards the trees, straining to focus in the bright sunlight. He licked his lips thoughtfully and ducked into the trees. His wicked eyes eventually found them and his rounded muzzle split into a grin.

"I thought this place was empty," He purred. Every noise he made seemed to be amplified by his giant, dish-like ears. "But I guess I was wrong. There are still some stragglers."

"This one has a Guild badge." One of the Murkrow pointed a wing at Cleo.

"Guild members?" The Noivern threw his head back and laughed. The Murkrow joined in, probably more out of fear than anything else. Once he'd regained himself, he looked back down at them and snorted. "Probably out to cause more trouble for Hydreigon? Well... I think you'd make tasty little hostages."

Cleo restrained herself from taking a step back. If she'd been alone, she'd have been in a lot of trouble. Her attacks would be useless against the Murkrow flock, but she had a chance at taking down the Noivern. But attempting that would draw the Murkrow to her and she'd be at a major disadvantage.

But with Spark...

The Dedenne poked her head out of Cleo's fur.

"Oh this is just great!" She snarled. "You think you're so big ganging up on smaller Pokemon? Well, I'll show you just how much of a bad idea that is!"

Luckily, the Murkrow and Noivern had been surprised by the sudden appearance of the small Dedenne. Before they could regain themselves, she launched herself from Cleo's shoulder and filled the air with a powerful discharge.

Several of the Murkrow dropped from the trees, electricity dancing over their oily black feathers. The rest leapt away from the trees, flapping their wings in surprise and cawing wildly. Before they could retaliate, Spark sent out another attack.

Cleo took this opportunity to strike the Noivern with a Psybeam. Purple light shot from her unfurled ears and struck the dragon Pokemon on the nose. He took a step back and shook his head sharply.

It wasn't enough. His yellow eyes fixed on her and he snorted, smoke swirling from his nostrils.

"I'll make you regret that, little kitty." He lunged at her, fangs glinting in his mouth.

Cleo sidestepped, just narrowly dodging the Noivern's wicked bite. She sent another Psybeam into his side, knocking him off balance and causing Mischief to hop out of the way.

Great. Now she had another Pokemon holding her back. If she was reckless he'd end up getting hurt.

Crack!

Cleo was sent rolling backwards as the Noivern's massive wing struck her across the face. Before she could leap to her feet, the dragon loomed over her, his face split into a malicious grin.

"I was hoping to take you back as a hostage," He sneered. "But now I think I'd rather kill you right here!"

A deep rumble filled the air, growing in volume. The Noivern's ears seemed to vibrate and he opened his mouth wide. Cleo closed her eyes. This was it. No one ever survived a fight with a Noivern. All that would be left of her would be scattered throughout this forest.

A sharp snap and the Noivern grunted, the dreadful sound coming to an abrupt stop. Cleo opened her eyes warily. The Noivern was looking behind him, but Cleo couldn't see what had distracted him.

Spark was still jumping around in the trees, distracting the remaining Murkrow. That only left...

Cleo rolled out of the way and leapt to her feet. Prancing about like a fool was that odd Whimsicott, drawing the Noivern's confused gaze.

The Noivern let out a snort and charged at him. Mischief leapt back and a flash of pink and purple light shot out of him, striking the Noivern and sending the dragon rolling tail over head into a tree.

The Murkrow, seeing that their leader had taken a nasty hit, diverted their attention away from the Dedenne and shot out of the canopy towards Mischief. Another flash of pink and purple and they dropped like ripe berries.

Mischief's face split into a manic grin and he strode slowly over to the dragon. The Noivern struggled to his feet and turned his fierce yellow eyes on the Whimsicott. He opened his mouth wide and sent a pulsing shock-wave at the grass Pokemon. Purple energy pulsated through the air, engulfing him completely. Mischief's grin grew wider and he strode right through it.

The Noivern's mouth snapped shut and he took a step back, his yellow eyes darting from left to right.

Mischief lunged at him, striking the dragon square in the chest and knocking him to the floor. Maniacal laughter erupted from him as he struck the dragon over and over, oblivious to the Noivern's flailing wings colliding with his fluffy body, sending wisps of white cotton into the air.

Cleo and Spark watched, dumbfounded, as the Noivern was reduced to a bloody pulp. His flailing wings came to a halt, and he lay there motionless as the Whimsicott's merciless attacks continued, his maniacal laughter echoing through the forest. Neither of them could move, their bodies frozen in place by the nightmarish image.

Cleo shook herself, and braved a step towards Mischief.

"Okay, I think you're done."  
Her words fell on deaf ears. Michief seemed to be enjoying himself too much. The Noivern was barely recognisable now and Cleo couldn't help feeling sorry for the fallen dragon.

She grit her teeth. "Mischief!"

Still no response. She moved a few steps closer to him. If she had to drag him off the Noivern, she would. But before she could reach him, his frantic pounding stopped and his head snapped to face her, still wearing that manic grin.

In one swift motion, he pounced from the Noivern and collided with her, sending her reeling backwards.

"Cleo!"

A jolt of electricity shot through Mischief. His body jerked and he fell off her.

Cleo pushed herself to her feet and looked down at him. His orange eyes met hers, filled with what she could only describe as madness. In a mere few moments it faded into confusion. He looked as if he was about to say something, but all strength appeared to leave his body and he collapsed onto the forest floor.

...

**Thanks again guys! Please R&amp;R!**


	4. A Worrying Development

**A/N - another chapter, uploading faster than I intended in hopes to keep people interested! The offer of seven little Mischiefs looking for a home still stands for subscribers to this fanfic =) just drop me a line.**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

4 – A Worrying Development

Cleo and Spark stood side by side looking down at the unconscious Whimsicott.

"Wow." Spark looked up at the bloodied body of the Noivern then back at Mischief. "What... happened to him?"

"I've no idea." Cleo glanced around the forest, the floor now scattered with black feathers, the bodies of unconscious Murkrow and marred with the thick, crimson blood from the Noivern. She looked back down at Spark. "Thanks for helping me there. I could have ended up like our large friend."

Spark shook her head. "Don't mention it. I'm sure you would have done the same for me. But can I suggest something?"

"Go on."

"That we get out of here? It has a very morbid, uneasy feeling to it now."  
"Yes. I have to agree." Cleo turned to leave, but froze, looking back at Mischief. She sighed and unfurled her ears, raising the Whimsicott into the air and moving him along ahead of her.

"You're bringing him?" Spark's voice came out unusually shrill even for her.

"I don't feel comfortable leaving him there. What if those Murkrow wake up before he does?"

"But..." Spark glanced back nervously. "But you saw what he did!"

"Yes."

"He attacked you, Cleo!" Spark almost bounced with fury. "And you're just bringing him along?"

"Yes."

The Dedenne sighed. "Fine. I don't understand you though."

Cleo said nothing, moving on with more speed than before. She just wanted to put the forest behind her now and reach New City before Mischief woke up. She had a feeling Spark hadn't noticed what she had – that look of confusion in his eyes, almost as if he hadn't been aware of his actions and wondered what had happened.

No, she couldn't leave him there. He might have attacked her, but he also saved her life.

Didn't he?

It wasn't just that. She had to show the Whimsicott to Tinker. Any Pokemon that could withstand a Dragon Pulse – a powerful dragon type attack – without even receiving so much as a scratch... she'd never met a Pokemon like that. She wasn't sure anyone had. She had her doubts, but she found herself wondering if Mischief was actually immune to such an attack.

If that was the case... She glanced sideways at the floating Whimsicott and shook her head, turning her attention back to her destination. It was a ridiculous idea, maybe whatever madness had took over him had merely rendered him unable to feel any pain.

It wasn't a long walk now. Cleo could see the stretch of wild undergrowth in the distance, the rocky moors that spread across the vast planes, expanding out into wide mountains that obscured the view beyond them.

She checked around them, eyes scanning their surroundings and the skies. There were no Pokemon, no more Noivern or Murkrow, not even a single Pidgey. Desolate and eerie, but reassuring.

Finally, their feet reached the tough grass of the moors. Mischief was still unconscious, bobbing along beside Cleo.

A few feet into the moors, wild thorn bushes sprawled across the grass, once filled with berries but now sporting nothing more than sharp, jagged leaves.

Cleo parted them and scrambled inside, pushing Mischief along ahead of her. Inside the bush was a flat, round rock with a groove in it the perfect shape and size to fit the Guild badge. She removed it from her bag and stuck it inside, turning it anticlockwise. The stone slid along, revealing a steep, winding staircase. This only gave a few seconds before it moved back in place. Cleo slipped inside and Spark followed, keeping the Whimsicott between them. The stone slid shut, clicking into place.

"Yeesh!" Spark squeaked. "It almost claimed my tail!"

She hopped down the stairs after Cleo, clutching her black tail in her paws.

"Then you should have sat on my shoulder."

"I don't like being so close to your ears when they're open, you know that." She shuddered. "What if I get caught in a crossfire or something?"

Cleo shook her head slowly and stifled a laugh.

The winding stairs ended in a well lit tunnel. Candles adorned the walls, held on strong, iron rods. Voices filled the air, reverberating off the cold walls. Stone archways stretched above them every few feet until the tunnel finally stretched out into a massive hall. A huge chandelier hung from the ceiling casting the place in a bright light.

Hundreds of Pokemon busied about, nattering, visiting the little market stalls and shouting out advertisements for their work. In the far walls of the hall were windows where Pokemon had set up more permanent shops.

Cleo and Spark moved through the crowds, drawing looks of confusion from any Pokemon that noticed the floating Whimsicott bobbing along beside them.

Cleo knew where she was going, she'd been here before. The hall had many corridors leading off it, each one leading to the nests of the Pokemon that lived there. The hallways had signs pinned above them, saying exactly where they went. Each one was named, listing the accommodations it held. One such corridor led to the Guild Headquarters.

The Guild Headquarters was home to many facilities – rescue teams, meeting rooms, item shops, the medical ward, the Guild food hall and of course Tinker's office, the latter of which stood before them in all its pride and glory.

The wooden door had written on it 'knock before entering', so Cleo knocked. (In the past, she'd ignored the sign and just gone inside, but had received a berating from a rather unhappy Riolu who was struggling to hide his inventions under a pile of papers.)

After a brief pause came a cheerful, "Come in!"

Yes, just as she thought, Tinker was currently in his office. She often wondered how he managed to beat her to each of the Guild's bases. She once wondered if each Guild HQ had its own Tinker, but that thought was soon dismissed as 'ridiculous' and she learned to accept the Riolu's mysterious ways.

Cleo opened the door and stepped inside. Tinker gave her a warm smile, which was swiftly replaced with a mixture of concern and confusion when he saw the Whimsicott.

"Well, Cleo... I think an explanation is in order!" He said as Cleo let Mischief drop to the ground with very little grace.

"Okay. This is a fuzzy nuisance who decided to force himself on us," Cleo told him. "He goes by the name of Mischief."

"A fitting name if I do say so." Tinker scratched his head as he looked down at the Whimsicott. "Why is he unconscious?"

"I was hoping you could tell me that," Said Cleo. She leant back against the wall. "He seemed to go mad when we were attacked by a Noivern and some Murkrow. He fought them off, then after he tried to attack me, he collapsed."

"He tried to attack you?" Tinker rounded on her. "And you brought him here?"

"My thoughts exactly!" Spark added.

"He seemed friendly enough before hand," Cleo went on. "And he did save my life."

Tinker let out a sigh of frustration and looked back down at Mischief. "I do want to trust your judgement, Cleo, but I do have my concerns." He turned back to Cleo. "What of the Pokemon that attacked you?"

"I can't speak for the Murkrow but the Noivern is well and truly dead."

Tinker's mouth gaped open but no words came out. After a few attempts he stuttered but Cleo cut him off with a wave of her paw.

"I can explain to you everything – the battle, what he told me... But first, can we get him seen to?"

Tinker nodded. "Of course. I'll have Melody take him to the medical ward." The Riolu strolled over to the wall and opened up a brass cylinder which he spoke into with careful clarity. "Melody, can you come to my office?"

The Riolu turned away from the cylinder, letting it snap shut behind him. He glanced over the Whimsicott before turning back to Cleo.

"Now what exactly happened?"

Cleo fixed her yellow eyes on the Riolu. "We were attacked on our way here. I have no idea what a Noivern was doing outside during the day, but it attacked us with a flock of Murkrow. We tried to defend ourselves, but we were at a disadvantage. However, Mischief took on the Noivern single handed after it tried to kill me."

Tinker fidgeted with the grey, oval stone about his neck and stared down at the Whimsicott. "He managed to take out that dragon?" He didn't sound like he believed it.

"Flawlessly. If you don't count the fact he went mad." Cleo closed her eyes. "He was also struck with a Dragon Pulse and didn't even flinch."

Tinker's red eyes widened and he looked from Cleo back down at Mischief. "Are you sure?"

Cleo nodded. "He then proceeded to beat the Noivern that attacked us, leaving the dragon in a rather unrecognisable state."

"And then he attacked you..."

"And fainted." Cleo's eyes snapped open and she fixed them on Tinker once more. "I thought that might pique your interest. I'm not wrong am I?"

There was a knock at the door and Tinker looked over his shoulder. "It's open, Melody. Come in."

An Audino strode into the office, wearing a small apron adorned with pockets some of which had various medical implements poking out of them. Her eyes instantly fell on the fallen Whimsicott and she looked up at Tinker and Cleo.

"I'm assuming this is my patient?" She pointed at Mischief. "What happened to him?"

"Exhaustion, I assume." Tinker scratched his nose. "If you wouldn't mind seeing to him in a private room? And give him a thorough check over please. We're not entirely sure who's side he is on, so please don't be alarmed when I assign guards to the medical ward."

Despite his words, Melody did indeed seem alarmed but she tried to hide it as well as she could. She waved her paw and Mischief rose into the air. Silently, she left the room, taking the Whimsicott with her.

Spark gave a nod of approval as the door clicked shut. "I like it when Pokemon can utilise Psychic skills without the risk of blasting you with their ears."

Cleo nudged her with her foot. "Hey."

Tinker chuckled. "Well, if you wouldn't mind joining me for dinner? You can tell me all about this new friend of yours."

Cleo narrowed her eyes at him. "He's not a friend."

He shrugged. "Regardless. I'd like you to tell me everything. Then, you can get a good rest. You look positively tired."

Cleo tried not to look offended. It wasn't that obvious, was it?

Spark yawned. "Food and sleep. That sounds like a plan I can get on board with."

...

Cleo's dreams were full of morbid images – dragons ransacking Pokemon villages as she watched from inside a berry bush, screams splitting through the air like sharp claws. She watched the panicked faces of Pokemon she knew falling to the ground as they were brutally maimed by dragon Pokemon – Zweilos, Garchomp, Fraxure, Druddigon...

But something caught her attention, a voice tearing her eyes away from the massacre. No, not a voice... a laugh... and there, in the distance, jumping from one dragon to the next was a deranged Whimsicott, reducing each one to a pile of bloodied, shattered flesh and bones, staining the very ground into a dreaded scarlet.

"You need to be careful."

She span on her heel, her eyes wide. Leaning against a tree, as nonchalant as ever, was Mischief. In the background, she could still hear that hysterical laughter from the battlefield.

He gave her a smile. "It might be you next."

Cleo sat bolt upright.

The nest room came into focus, the laughter in her mind fading into soft snores. Spark was still sleeping soundly a mere few inches away from Cleo.

She lay back down with a flop. Nightmares... she should be used to those by now.

She looked over to the wall, expecting to find a window to give her some idea of what time it was. Of course, they were underground. No such thing existed here. She could have been asleep for a mere few minutes for all she knew.

Regardless, she felt like she could use a walk after that. She stood and stretched, and made for the door.

"Where you goin'?"

She paused and looked back. Spark was watching her, groggily rubbing a paw over her large black eyes.

"Just for a walk," Said Cleo. "You get back to sleep."

"Iss mornin'?"  
Cleo shrugged. "No idea."  
"I'm comin'." Spark stood up and waddled over to her.

With a sigh, Cleo bent down and scooped up the Dedenne, setting her on her shoulder. Spark burrowed into her fur, immediately followed by soft snores. Cleo shook her head slowly and left the room, strolling down the candlelit hallway.

She'd always told herself not to go back to sleep straight after a nightmare. They just continue. It's best to go for a walk until it wears off, then try to sleep again. A little stroll down the hallways of New City should do her some good.

Then why had she stopped by the elevator to the medical ward? She let out a sigh of frustration. For some reason that nightmare had really struck a nerve.

Almost like she needed some kind of reassurance.

Reassurance that Mischief was still held securely behind closed doors, guarded and unable to wreck havoc on the innocent Pokemon here.

"Oh! Cleo!"

She looked round to see Tinker walking towards her. He gave her a warm smile.

"You're awake?"

She nodded. "I felt like I needed a walk."

"Or are you visiting your friend in the dead of night?" He stopped at her side and indicated the elevator.

Great. So it was still night.

She gave him a sideways glance. "No, I... just happened to stop here."

"Well you can rest assured. He's still out. Melody gave him a sedative. He'll be asleep until morning." He stepped inside the elevator. "Care to join me? I may as well tell you what I've found out while you're awake."

She hesitated for a moment, warring with the idea of continuing her walk or facing whatever Tinker needed to tell her. She glanced down the hallway then dismissed the idea of a walk to follow Tinker into the medical ward.

Using the simple pulley system, Tinker took them down into the ward. The smell of medicinal berries reached their senses as the ward came into view. Several nests raised on wooden tables lay neatly throughout the room. Sat in one of the corners were two Pokemon – a Pikachu and a Growlithe – both wide awake and watching them curiously. They gave Tinker a nod when they saw him.

'_They must be the guards_,' Cleo told herself. She honestly thought Tinker would assign more than two.

"I smell berries." Spark poked her little head out of Cleo's fur. She looked around them. "Wait, this isn't the dinner hall..." She rubbed her eyes. "Why are we here?"

Cleo didn't answer. She followed Tinker to the back of the room where there were two doors leading to private rooms. Tinker opened one and the first thing Cleo saw was Mischief lying on a low table covered in a thick layer of hay.

"You'd told me about him mentioning a 'clean place'." Tinker spoke in a low voice. "I may have found out what he was referring to."

Cleo raised a brow. "How?"

"Here." Tinker reached out a paw and pushed some of the thick, white fluff back from Mischief's right shoulder.

Spark let out a gasp but restrained herself from shouting.

Cleo's eyes widened. Etched on his shoulder was a black outline of a crescent moon, the outside curve traced with points resembling the sun's rays.

"The Heretic's symbol?" Cleo looked up at Tinker. "So he's-"

"A Heretic?" Tinker nodded. "Apparently."

"But he seemed to have no memories of it."

"I'm curious about that too. But the 'clean place' may refer to one of their laboratories." Tinker turned to Cleo and ushered her back out of the room. "You recall the pink liquid you gave me a couple of days ago?"

"Oh!" Cleo looked back at him as he closed the door to Mischief's room. "I'd almost forgotten about that."

"What of it?" Spark asked, now clearly wide awake.

Tinker looked at the guards then turned to Cleo and Spark. "Come to my office. I'll explain there."

They followed Tinker wordlessly into the elevator, then down the hallway towards his office. He sat back on his stool and watched as Cleo closed the door behind them.

"Take a seat." He indicated the other stool on his right.

Cleo sat down on it and leant back against his desk, keeping one eye on him. He swivelled round in his seat to fix her with his good eye.

"That pink liquid," He began, "turned out to be Pokerus."

Cleo felt her eyes widen again.

"What?" Spark squealed. "Pokerus?! Isn't that like... super rare?!"

"Yes," Tinker answered. "But before you get excited, it's a mutated strain."

"Too late." Spark flopped onto her belly on Cleo's shoulder. "You just took the wind outta my sails."

"What do you mean it's mutated?" Cleo asked. "Does it only effect dark Pokemon or something?"

"No. It's worse than that." Tinker scratched his nose and sighed. "This one works much the same as normal Pokerus – it allows a Pokemon to enhance their abilities at an escalated rate. What makes it differ is that it enhances them further than they would go naturally."

"So why did the Weavile have it? Is Hydreigon amassing a super-powered army?"

"I thought that at first," Tinker told her. "But Melody ran some tests on your Whimsicott friend. He happens to have... or have had... this strain of Pokerus."

Cleo opened her mouth to speak but words failed her. Instead she looked down at her paws. Tinker was silent for a moment until she finally found her voice.

"So... that explains why he managed to defeat the Noivern?" She looked up at Tinker. "And withstand the Dragon Pulse?"

Tinker shook his head. "Not exactly. You see, what this has told us is that the Heretics, or a group of them, are involved with the Darkness in some way. Maybe they're working with Hydreigon. Or maybe some of his followers have deviated and have joined the Heretics. Whatever is going on, it may turn out to be quite dangerous and as of now I have no idea what their plans are. All I can assume is that Mischief isn't the only one who has been given this strain of Pokerus and there are some more dangerous Pokemon out there. In the morning, I am going to ask Grey to read his memories and see if they really are as damaged as you claim they are."

Cleo nodded slowly as she let all this sink in. So something was going on... something terrible, maybe.

"I'm also wondering," Tinker went on, "If this strain of Pokerus can drive a Pokemon to madness."

Cleo looked up at him again. "What makes you think that?"

"Your description of Mischief's attack on the Noivern led me to this theory. However, there are other things that could have caused that little episode." He tapped his claws on the desk in thought. "External influence, or a fight or flight response. I have no idea if he has any memories of that event either, but we shall soon find that out."

"Is it permanent?"

"Well, he seemed okay when he came too earlier today, before Melody sedated him again. From the limited knowledge we have, I'd quite like to run some more tests on him, but I don't know if madness is a triggered response. As such, I don't wish to risk the lives of those here in New City." Tinker paused and took a breath. "But I do fear it may be that essentially what the Heretics have created here is a biological weapon."

Cleo blinked, unsure of what to say to that. Many questions rose in her mind, but each one seemed to confuse the other and leave her wordless once again.

"I don't like that," Said Spark. "I don't like that one bit. What are they doing?!"

"I've no idea, but I plan to find out sooner or later. Especially if there are others out there like him." He fixed his red eyes on Cleo's. "Now on to the next thing. Melody found something in your friend's fur."

"What was it?" The look in Tinker's good eye filled Cleo with an icy dread.

"A tracking device."

Spark sat up so suddenly she almost fell backwards off Cleo's shoulder with the motion. "What?! And we brought him here?!"

"Calm yourself, Spark," Tinker told her. "I had it destroyed. And it wouldn't work under ground. If anyone was tracking him, they'd find it had disappeared here."

"Isn't that a bad thing?" Cleo snapped. "If it just vanishes in a wide area like this, wouldn't they assume there's an underground hideout?"

"You brought him here, Cleo," Tinker told her flatly. "And this place is inaccessible to those who don't have a Guild badge. With no Pokemon freely coming and going, it won't be immediately obvious. But as a precaution we'll be increasing guards at all gates."

Cleo nodded and let out a flustered sigh. How could she be so stupid? Did Mischief know he was being tracked? Did he know he had Pokerus?

"Until Grey has worked with Mischief," Tinker told them, "I don't want you to speak to him. Okay?"

Cleo nodded. She suddenly felt very tired. She looked up at Tinker. "What time is it by the way?"

"The sun hasn't risen yet." Tinker stood and moved to the door. "I suggest you get back to sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

Cleo nodded and stood up. Tinker opened the door and shooed them out of his office, letting it click loudly shut behind him.

"I think he's annoyed with you," Spark whispered in her ear.

"That's hardly surprising." Cleo moved away from the door and headed back down the hallway. "I'm annoyed with myself."

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	5. A Lesson in Evolution

**A/N - Here's chapter 5. Hoping I can get another chapter up this week if I can get enough written. I hope this chapter pleases.**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

5 – A Lesson in Evolution

Cleo and Spark strode into the busy dinner hall the next morning, both feeling groggy from a bad night's sleep. Cleo's dreams had been full of images of dragons and blood and falling black feathers, biological weapons and massive crowds of insane Heretics. Tinker's words had flooded into her dreams, occasionally mixed with accusations of her causing the Guild's downfall and the eradication of all the world's Outcasts.

The dreams were broken and had become so mixed up in her mind with the previous night's events that she was beginning to confuse dream with reality.

She loaded up a plate with dried fish and sat back on a little stool, adding extras to her meal in a half-dazed state in hopes it would wake her up a bit.

Maybe after this she could speak to Tinker again and gain some clarity on the situation. Hopefully Grey had managed to speak with Mischief and that would shine a light on some things.

Maybe she could ask him to use Dream Eater on her and remove some of the more disturbing dream residue from her mind...

"Hey... hey..." Spark nudged her.

Cleo looked down at the Dedenne. "What?"

"You've put sweet berry sauce on your fish." She pointed at Cleo's plate and the Meowstic followed her paw. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Erm..." Cleo stared at the mess of creamy pink sauce over her salty fish and let out a sigh. "Not really no. I'm still a little confused."

"Tell me about it." Spark bit into a large oran berry. "I'm so confused I can't stop eating."

Cleo ventured one of her berry-covered fish. "That's a norm for you."

"Oi!" Spark turned her head and narrowed her eyes at Cleo. "You callin' me fat?"

"No, I'm calling you a bottomless pit."

"Oh." Spark turned back to her plate of berries. "That's okay then."

The combination of sweet and salty that filled Cleo's mouth did indeed wake her up a bit. She swallowed quickly and swigged a glass of water to try and wash it away. She stared back down at her plate and considered pushing it away, but hunger told her not to waste a good meal so she took another bite and tried not to grimace.

"I don't want to discuss last night in here," Spark said, glancing around the bustling hall. "But do you think Tinker wants us to go straight to his office after breakfast?"

"I don't care what he wants, I plan to go straight there anyway."

"Under normal circumstances I think he wouldn't mind you just showing up at his office." Spark gave her a sly smile.

Cleo frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"What I'm saying is he's always so happy to see you. I've often wondered if he treats other warriors the same way he does you, or if it's just favouritism."

"I think he has his favourites." Cleo licked berry sauce off her paws. "But after the mess I've caused lately, I've probably slipped off that list."

"I hardly think so." Spark hopped onto the table to load more berries onto her plate. "If anything, your rash actions may actually have given the Guild a jump start on what could otherwise have become a rather dire situation."

The Dedenne kept her voice low so other Pokemon wouldn't overhear their conversation. Cleo pawed at her fish then picked one up and stuffed it in her mouth. She didn't want to discuss this here in the dining hall. The last thing they needed to do was alert everyone to the possible dangers the Heretics could be posing.

She had expected to see Tinker in the dining hall but there was no sign of the Riolu. She couldn't decide if she was relieved or not, since it was just dragging out the anxiety.

When she'd finished her breakfast, she stood up and motioned to Spark to follow her. The Dedenne stuffed an entire berry in her mouth, her little cheeks bulging, and followed after Cleo.

Tinker's office door was slightly ajar, a clear indication he was expecting them. Cleo still knocked and waited. The door opened, but looming over them was a wizened Alakazam with long grey whiskers that trailed to the ground. He didn't need to introduce himself. Everyone in the Guild knew him as Grey, the oldest and most reliable Warrior, long since retired from his combat duties. He now assisted the Outcasts in gaining information by probing the memories of the reluctant dark Pokemon they took into custody.

'His attacks might not damage them, but a brain is still a brain,' Tinker had told her when she'd enquired about this in her earlier days.

Grey gave them a nod and strolled past them, walking silently down the corridor until he vanished into the crowds.

Cleo slipped inside Tinker's office and closed the door behind them. The Riolu was leaning over his desk, reading over some notes. He glanced up at them briefly and continued his reading.

"I thought you might come here after breakfast," He told them. "You're timing couldn't be better. As you just noticed, Grey was here. He's managed to probe the mind of your Whimsicott companion."

"And?" Cleo asked.

"He does indeed have a damaged memory, so he was honest about that." Tinker put down his papers and turned to face them. "Confound it, Cleo, why are you still standing by the door like an unwelcome stranger? Have a seat."

"Sorry." Cleo moved over to a stool by his desk. "I wasn't sure if I was welcome or not after yesterday."

"Despite the problems bringing Mischief here may have caused us, you're still one of the Guild's warriors. Now," He looked down at his notes again. "Grey has confirmed one of my speculations. The 'clean place' is indeed a Heretic laboratory. The images were unclear, and he couldn't pick out any faces, but the scenery itself had every essence of a lab about it, which solidifies my theory that Mischief is a biological weapon. The full effects of the Pokerus, however, including whether or not it causes madness, remain a mystery. The memories are so fragmented that he has clearly had them tampered with, and not suppressed either. Removed." He looked up at Cleo. "He wouldn't even be able to find his way back to the laboratory if he tried. So much has been removed he doesn't even have any memory of his birth place or parents. All that's left is the vague image of the laboratory, some blurred faces then it all leaps to his encounter with you. It's as though the Heretics don't want him to come back and went to such extremes to make sure he wouldn't. As though he's been cast off, or sent out to wander until he went berserk like a ticking time-bomb of disaster. To be honest, I'd be more inclined to say 'discarded' is the more likely scenario."

"Like he's become too problematic for them?" Cleo asked.

"Or a failure." Tinker shrugged and looked back down at his notes. "I really wish I knew what the situation was. It would certainly shed a light on things. But... the Heretics have covered up their tracks with this one. I'm not even sure if leaving any memories of his location was intended. They might have been trying to wipe them all... and failed."

"Because he attacked them?" Spark suggested.

"It's a possibility..." Tinker drifted off, his nose buried in his notes and he fiddled with one of his ears nervously. "Cleo... you know about evolution..."

Cleo blinked. "I... happen to have evolved myself at some point, Tinker. And you yourself wear an everstone around your neck."

"Not that kind." He looked up at her. "Adaptation evolution. The idea that Pokemon don't just evolve to gain strength, but to adapt to the changes in their environment."

"What do you mean?"

"Take Magnemite for example." Tinker folded his paws on his lap. "Magnemite used to be a pure electric type, but its defences were weak. It could be taken out by all kinds of moves. Its only strength was to resist water and flying attacks. But over the years, it adapted the steel type, adding to its defences by giving it more resistances. Including an immunity to poison type attacks."

"Ahh." Cleo scratched her ears and glanced away. "I'd never really thought about that."

"It was before our time, but as an inventor I like to research things like this. And one thing has piqued my interest recently. It's the rise of a new Pokemon type."

"A new type?" Spark and Cleo both looked at the Riolu.

"Are you serious?" Cleo asked.

"Yes. Two Pokemon have learned new attacks inside New City and have been demonstrating them in the training grounds. These attacks haven't been tested to their fullest, and I've been working on a new battle simulator which I've been tweaking overnight." He looked back at a large machine situated in the back of the room. "I've only ran it on myself so I've not tested these attacks on it yet, but..."

"What is the type?" Cleo asked.

"So far we have no name for it," Tinker told her flatly. "Very little is known about it except for some of the type effectiveness, and those that have learned these attacks have found they have very little effect on our fire, steel and poison type warriors, yet can almost floor the fighting types." He picked up a chart off his desk. "We've yet to finish testing all the types, namely dark and dragon. But if you look at this, of all the attacks and type effectiveness we're aware of to date, there are few types that resist dragon attacks. The only one to resist it is steel, but it's not immune." He held the chart up to show them. "If you can guess what I'm getting at... it's the fact you told me Mischief took a dragon attack straight on and appeared unaffected by it."

Cleo took the chart and nodded, glancing over it. "You think this new type resists dragon attacks?"

"I'm suggesting it's immune to it."

Cleo looked up at him sharply. "That means-"

"That means if I'm right, the whole chemistry of this world is going to change." A look of excitement filled his eye. "That we'd actually stand a chance at defeating Hydreigon and reclaiming our old territories."

Cleo looked back down at the chart then back at Tinker. "But it must be a slow process... if this is right, how are we going to find more like him?"

"Let's not be too hasty, Cleo." He gave her a smile. "I want to test him out first." He stood and moved over to the door. He opened it then looked back at Cleo. "Wait here. I'm going to fetch your friend."

Cleo said nothing as Tinker left, leaving the door ajar.

"Wow," Said Spark. "I'm not sure how to take all this."

Cleo stared at the machine against the wall. She also wasn't sure how to take this. Part of her wondered if she was still stuck in one of her crazy dreams.

She wasn't far out of that thought when Tinker strode back into the room with Mischief in tow. He was rather talkative, but his words didn't form in Cleo's mind as she slowly dragged herself back to reality.

He paused when he saw her, his orange eyes lighting up with glee.

"Cleo! Hi!"

Cleo nodded at him. "Good to see you on your feet."

He gave her a smile. "And Spark too! Hi!" He gazed around the room and looked up at the thick tree roots spanning across the ceiling. "Are we underground?"

"You've only just noticed?" Spark asked.

"Well, I've been asleep a lot..."

Tinker tapped the table impatiently. "You three can have your jovial reunion later. Right now, I have some things to ask you."  
Cleo raised a brow and leered at the Riolu. Jovial? She wondered if Tinker deliberately mocked her sometimes.

"So Mischief," Tinker turned to the Whimsicott. "I'm of the understanding you have very little of your memories, namely hardly any idea of where you came from, no way to get back there and nothing to inform you of why you woke up outside the Outcast town before you met Cleo and Spark?"

Mischief nodded.

"And this doesn't bother you?"

He shrugged. "Not really. It's not like I miss them or anything since I don't know what they were. If I'm to compare it to the memories I have in the woods anyway. It's a bit of a blur, and I'd like to know why I suddenly woke up on the ground surrounded by bodies."

Cleo grit her teeth and suppressed a shudder. For some reason, that description didn't settle well with her, and she'd seen enough morbid things to have developed some resistance to such images.

"Cleo says you were attacked on your way here. Can you tell me what happened in the forest?" Tinker asked Mischief. "Namely how many attacks you used, or which ones, before things became a blur?"

"Which ones?" Mischief looked thoughtfully at the ceiling. "I don't know the names. But I think I used... two or three?" He shrugged, then grinned and seemed to bounce. "I did save Cleo with a glowing green ball though."

"Energy Ball." Tinker scratched something on a piece of paper with a quill and ink then looked back up at Mischief. "I'd like to run some tests on you if you don't mind."

Mischief inclined his head on one side. "Are they fun?"

"They're certainly interesting." Tinker stood up and moved over to the simulation machine. He grabbed onto one of the rails and dragged it into the middle of the room.

It was an imposing machine and now out of its little corner seemed to make the office seem smaller. A concave disc was propped above a metal box that sported several buttons and a little screen, placed at one end of the platform which was surrounded by a secure iron fence. On the other end of the platform was a gate. Behind the disc was a piston that at the moment was still.

Tinker opened the gate and motioned to Mischief. "Step inside."

The Whimsicott obliged. Cleo found herself wondering if his lack of memories had made him more naïve than he should be.

The Riolu moved to the back of the machine and wound a crank a few times until the piston began to move up and down with a steady hiss. He then leant over the gate and punched a series of buttons. The disc lit up and projected something onto the platform – a Poochyena.

Mischief took a step back and Cleo leapt to her feet.

"It's not real," Tinker told them. "It's just an image. Now, Mischief. You also know some unusual attacks, one that looks like pink and purple light?"

"Ooh my sparkly one?" Mischief smiled. "You want to see it?"

Tinker waved a paw. "Not yet. Let me explain what I'm doing here. I'm conducting some research, and I want to know how your... sparkly attack... effects dark and dragon type Pokemon. Having none in the Guild, I can't ask one to come in and take some hits for us, so I've made this simulation machine." He gave the machine a fond pat. "It records the base damage of the attack fired, and the effectiveness on the Pokemon it's simulating. It can also detect whether or not the attack was fired with vehemence, so don't worry too much about confusing the machine with a critical hit." He gestured to the Poochyena. "The simulation is also capable of firing its own attacks at those who are in it, recording the results through the sensors at your feet. It uses a very low damage rate though so don't worry, it won't hurt."

Cleo and Spark exchanged glances.

"Erm, Tinker?" Cleo turned her attention to the Riolu. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" She gave him a look that prompted him to remember what they were discussing the night before.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Tinker moved behind Mischief and started strapping him onto the rails with thick, leather reins.

"What's this for?" Mischief asked.

"Security reasons. Okay, shall we start? It will attack you. When it has, hit it back." Tinker struck another button and moved away from the machine.

The Poochyena animated and fired a dark pulse of light at Mischief. It struck him in the stomach and he chuckled. He raised his arms and a flurry of bright, sparkling pink and purple flashes exploded across the machine, striking the Poochyena image. It flickered out of sight.

Tinker rushed to the machine and leant over to glance at the screen. He clapped his paws together.

"It's incredibly effective! Excellent! And as for the damage on you, it's recorded at half it's normal rate. Now... if you wouldn't mind..." He punched a few more buttons and a Fraxure appeared on the platform. Tinker hit the button to animate the dragon and took a few steps back.

The Fraxure opened its mouth and sent out a pulsing wave. It moved over Mischief like water and he stood unfazed. Once again, he raised both paws and sent out another flurry of sparkling lights. The dragon flickered out of sight.

Tinker raced to the machine with such enthusiasm he stumbled, propping himself up on the rail. His eyes widened when he saw the screen and he fell back from it, blinking a few times before fixing his attention on Mischief.

"The same – incredibly effective. But... did it really not bother you?"

Mischief shook his head.

Tinker looked back at his machine, almost as though he doubted his own invention. "I'm... wanting to check how it works against a Hydreigon..."

Cleo stood up. "I think we've seen enough. We know the attack works now."

"I don't mind fighting something else if it's for research," Mischief said rather too keenly, "But... I would like to know why you're so excited about this. What's it in aid of? Am I being trained for something?"

Tinker looked at him as though seeing him for the first time. Cleo and Spark followed the Riolu's gaze, and were suddenly aware what it was that had struck him.

Mischief had no memories.

That meant he had no idea of the state of the world he was living in.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	6. A Small Request

**A/N - thanks for the reviews and follows! =D It's great to know people are reading this!**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

6 – A Small Request

Yurlik strutted up the stone steps towards the giant stone building. Large jagged ebony points stuck out of the roof at odd angles, reaching up towards the dark sky. Half way up the flight of stairs, the Honchkrow clicked his beak in frustration. He would have preferred to be able to fly, but since he was having to lug a carcass on his back twice his size, doing so would demand a feat of strength his body couldn't provide. Not to mention it was currently rendering his glossy black feathers sticky with blood. His pride in his appearance was taking a brutal blow. He'd be needing a good bath and a preen after this.

"You look like you're having problems, fatso."

Yurlik's red eyes shot up to the roof of the building. Smirking at him was the shadowy form of a Banette wearing a heavy black scarf around his neck. Yurlik sneered and had to steady himself for fear of sending the heavy burden he carried tumbling back down the stairs.

"You know, Enigma... rather than sitting there grinning at me, you could help me carry it?"

The Banette chuckled and sat up, creating a soft ringing sound from some unseen bell on his body.

"I don't think so." Enigma inclined his head on one side and gave the Honchkrow a half smile. "I'd get my claws dirty."

Yurlik mumbled something incoherent under his breath and hoisted himself up another few steps. He could feel the Banette's crimson gaze burning into his feathers as the ghost sat there clearly mocking him. He feared if this kept up, he'd put a foot wrong and send himself falling back down the stairs, carcass and all. Then that would give the stupid Banette something to laugh about.

He clenched his beak shut and kept on going, trying to shut out the shadowy nuisance. Just a little further... there. He finally reached the door. Unable to use either of his wings, since both were holding his 'bad news' in place, he had to strike the door with his beak.

"Yes?" Enigma peered over the roof at him.

Yurlik sighed and looked up reluctantly. "So it's you on the door?"

The Banette gave him a massive grin and nodded.

Yurlik narrowed his eyes. "You're forgetting I have a type advantage. Get down here and open it!"

Enigma chuckled and leapt from the roof, landing beside Yurlik with a soft jingle. He moved silently through the door like a black mist, then there was a click and the double doors swung inwards. Yurlik strutted through them, the body's rear claws scraping across the marble tiles, the noise echoing off the bare stone walls.

"You know..." Enigma spoke slowly as he closed the doors, "The boss isn't going to be too happy to see you carrying that."

"I'm aware."  
Enigma chuckled and followed him down the wide hallway. "I'm just saying. It would suck to be you right now."  
Yurlik said nothing, walking silently down the hallway listening to that irritating jingle, amplified by the wide corridor. He wondered where Enigma hid that bell. His tail? Yurlik made a mental note to bite it off later and see.

A set of ebony doors spanned the end of the hall, reaching up from the floor to the ceiling. An intricate carving was etched across them depicting several dark Pokemon. In the centre of it was a Hydreigon posed to resemble a trident, the symbol of Hydreigon's armies.

Enigma cut in front of Yurlik and threw the doors open, striding in with a phenomenal amount of confidence.

"Boss! The fat bird is back with a delivery for you!"

"Don't address me like that!" A deep voice boomed out, shaking the very walls. "Keep speaking to me like that and you'll find yourself ground down into dust!"

Enigma burst into fits of laughter and darted into the room, vanishing into the shadows, the only sign of his presence being that irritating jingle.

"Come in, Yurlik," The deep voice spoke softer this time, but still with enough firmness that warned this had better be worth his time. "What did you find?"

Two candles flickered above the door, leaving most of the room in darkness. The Honchkrow stepped warily forwards, his eyes just making out the large form of the Hydreigon lying at the far end of the room. He didn't dare walk too close to the dragon. Instead, he dropped the body from his back onto the floor where it landed with an unsatisfying splat.

"What is this?" The Hydreigon asked.

"This is Boomer, Lord Hydreigon."

Something darted at him, teeth snapping and causing him to leap back in a flurry of feathers. Hydreigon had lurched forwards, his larger head leaning over the carcass of the fallen dragon while the other two snapped their teeth in anger.

"This is my top ace?!" The large dragon boomed. "I thought no Pokemon could defeat a Noivern?!"

"I thought I was your top ace!" Enigma whined from the shadows.

The Hydreigon's right limb twisted to snap dangerously at the corner of the room, followed by an alarmed ring from Enigma's bell signalling the Banette had done the wise thing and leapt out of the way.

Yurlik cowered by the door, keeping one eye on the furious dragon.

The Hydreigon stared down at the mangled Noivern, his breathing heavy as he tried to take this in. Finally, he recoiled back into the shadows, his large face shrouded in darkness once more.

"Where did you find him?"

"I didn't, my lord," Yurlik answered quickly. "Two Murkrow arrived back here both in a shocking state. They told me Boomer had been slaughtered in the Moorland's Forest a day's direct flight from here."  
"A day's flight?" Hydreigon asked eerily softly. "He'd been missing for two seasons!" The final sentence was spoke with such ferocity, Yurlik keeled backwards, almost stepping out of the door.

"Yes, they... a flock of Murkrow found him. He'd been... kept by the Heretics, my lord."

"Heretics?" Hydreigon paused and Yurlik could just make out that he was rubbing one of the smaller heads under his chin as he stared up at the ceiling. "What were they doing with him?"

"We don't know... apparently he'd been kept there but not out of malice. Once they were done with him, they asked the flock of Murkrow to accompany him back to the Shadowlands to be his eyes during the day. He was sent back with some haste, it seems. Apparently he'd been bargained with, but wouldn't explain to them what it was about. Apparently the Heretics had given him some information to give to you, but obviously... he cannot do that now."

Hydreigon was silent, his eyes no longer on the fallen Noivern but fixed on some vague point across the room as his red eyes glazed over in thought.

"If you're looking for a plan of action, we may be able to track down those who did this. You see... the Murkrow stopped by the outskirts for help. It was Ripwing who brought him back here." He let out a nervous laugh. "You know how fast Salamence can fly... a day's flight is only-"  
The Hydreigon lurched forwards before Yurlik had a chance to raise his guard. He let out a loud caw as he found himself bowled over by the dragon's large nose.

"Don't mention that name in my presence!"

Yurlik's heart hit his throat as the dragon's teeth bared alarmingly close to his beak. He tried to apologise but all that came out was a strangled squeak.

Hydreigon gestured to the fallen Noivern with one of his other heads. "Who did this to him?" He spoke softly, his warm breath brushing over the Honchkrow's face and sending cold shivers of fear through his hollow bones.

"Th-three Pokemon," he answered. "A Meowstic, Dedenne and Whimsicott. It was the latter that... reduced Boomer to such a state, my lord."

Hydreigon recoiled back into the shadows and watched Yurlik struggle back to his feet.

"I need to have those three eradicated," the dragon said quietly, almost to himself. "I shall send out my next trump card."

"Ooh!" Enigma cheered from his hiding place. "What do you want me to do?"

"Not you!" Hydreigon paused. "I have another tool in mind for this task." He chuckled and fired a narrow stream of fire at Yurlik. The Honchkrow squealed and flapped his wings, narrowly avoiding a thorough singeing. The dragon looked away. "Remove this mess, and fetch me Harlequin."

...

Cleo slept a lot better that night. It had been a tiring day, having to explain everything to Mischief. His normal jovial and naïve demeanour seemed to melt away as they explained Hydreigon, how the world was being slowly consumed by darkness due to the powerful dragon's vast armies. How all the Pokemon had been divided into three groups – Darkness, Heretics and Outcasts. The existence of the Guild to protect the weaker Outcasts from being slaughtered by Hydreigon's forces. The basic rule – if you weren't a dark, ghost or dragon Pokemon, then your life was at risk. That Heretics were foolish, trying to win over forces that would likely exploit them, then destroy them when their uses had run out.

Mischief had learned the world was a dark and dangerous place, and he'd quickly grown tired taking it all in.

Cleo, Spark and Tinker had grown tired trying to explain it all, and trying not to miss anything out.

After the sun set, they realised they'd not had dinner. But Mischief wasn't hungry, he just wanted to get some rest. So Tinker called Melody to take him back to the medical ward and make sure he was okay.

After he left, Cleo left for her nest while Spark, claiming that explaining so much was hungry work, waddled to the kitchen to see if she could rustle up something to eat before calling it a night.

It was now morning, and Cleo stared at the ceiling of the nest room, reliving the previous day, not prepared to go downstairs to face what may come next. But her stomach was telling her otherwise, and as needs must, she forced herself to her feet and strutted to the dining hall.

She was surprised to find Spark already there, tucking into a large plate of berries with all the ravenous fury of a half-starved Tyranitar.

"It's good to see you still have an appetite," Cleo said as she sat next to her friend.

Spark fixed her with her large black eyes, her cheeks bulging. "Of course. Don't you?"

"Actually yes." Cleo heaped her plate with dried fish and berry toast.

She ate in silence, quickly making her way through her breakfast, oblivious to her surroundings as she continued to relive the previous day.

"Good morning."  
Cleo turned with a start. Tinker sat next to her, piling up his plate with anything he could get his paws on.

"You seem cheerful," Cleo stated, turning back to her breakfast.

"Of course. I have reason to be." He flashed her a smile. "I was hoping you wouldn't mind joining me in my office once more?"

"What for this time? More experiments? Found out something new?"

"I actually have a request of you." Tinker stood and lifted his plate. "May I disturb you?"

Cleo licked her paws and stood up. "Sure. I'm finished anyway. Spark?" She looked down at the Dedenne.

Spark looked up at her with wide eyes, her paws clutching a berry. "I'm not finished."

"Bring it with you." Cleo lifted Spark's plate, much to her protests, and turned to leave the dining hall.

Tinker raised a paw. "Please don't bring food into my office. Berry juice just makes a mess of things."

Spark clenched her paws and wailed. "Aww! You're slaying me!"

Cleo gave Spark an apologetic look and placed the plate on the stand by the door. "Sorry."

Spark mumbled something incoherent and followed them out of the room towards Tinker's office.

Tinker opened his office door and faltered in the doorway. "Oh..."

Mischief looked over from the Riolu's desk and smiled. "Morning!"

"Who let you in?" Tinker strolled into the room and reclaimed his desk, setting down his overflowing plate. "Please, don't touch anything."

Spark stared at the pile of food with barely contained longing.

"Melody let me in," said Mischief. "She said you wanted to speak to me?"

"Yes well... sit."

The Whimsicott flopped onto the nearest stool.

Tinker turned to Cleo and Spark and ushered them to sit down while he closed his door. He returned to his desk, picked up some papers and nudged over a seat to Cleo, sitting – she thought – rather unnecessarily close to her.

"I have a request of you," He told her. "I'd like you to do some investigating for me."  
Cleo glanced over Tinker's shoulder at the rather curious Mischief.

"Don't worry about him." Tinker waved a paw. "I'm sending him out with you."

She turned her yellow eyes back to Tinker. "Where are we going?"

"I would like you to find out why a Noivern was lurking around the forest during the day." Tinker looked down at his notes. "I can't fathom why on earth it would behave in such an unusual way, since its vision is much better in the dark. I'm a little concerned it was sent to snoop around here looking for New City. It's unlikely, since no one outside of the Guild knows of this place, other than the inhabitants and as you know we have very strict rules here. Only Guild members can feely come and go, and you are all sworn to secrecy even to death to ensure the lives here are protected."

"Does that mean I'm a Guild member?" Mischief asked.

"No, just a tool I am using," Tinker said bluntly. "You'll be leaving here blindfolded and once you are far enough away from New City only then is Cleo permitted to remove it." He cleared his throat and smoothed out his notes. "I sent a search party out to find the body of this Noivern but all they found were the remains of the chaos that ensued during your battle. It was gone. Someone must have come to claim it, or it wasn't dead after all. This also worries me. If you wouldn't mind doing some searching around, to see where it possibly came from or any evidence as to what it was looking for, if anything."

Cleo nodded. "Sure. We can do that."  
"I have a question." Mischief raised a paw. "Who killed the Noivern?"

Tinker looked over at him and Cleo braced herself for him to bluntly tell Mischief exactly who mutilated the Noivern.

"It was killed in battle," Tinker told him. "As you are already aware, this world is a live or die one at the moment. These things, sadly, do happen." He turned back to his notes and Cleo fixed him with a dumbfounded expression, prompting an explanation, but he didn't give her one. "Now, I would like you three to set off as soon as possible if you wouldn't mind?"

"Sure." Cleo stood. "I'll go and fetch extra supplies."

"No need." Tinker stood and moved past her, stopping by the wall and pressing a button that triggered a faint chime in the room. "All that has been dealt with for you."  
Within moments, the two guards that had been in the medical ward – the Pikachu and Growlithe – walked through the door. The Pikachu handed Cleo a paper bag.

"You will find in there all the supplies you need," Tinker told her. "Now boys, could you escort our fine fellow here out of New City? And don't forget the blindfold."

Mischief followed the two guards out of the office. Cleo followed after them and stopped at the door, closing it and looking back at Tinker.

"Would you mind telling me why you didn't explain to him he has Pokerus?" She hissed.

"Simple." Tinker smiled. "We told him last night in detail what the state of this world is, and how dangerous it is under Hydreigon's reign of terror. He had a lot to take in. If we told him now that he has a mutated form of Pokerus, and slaughtered a Noivern with no memory of it, how do you think that would affect him? He may decide to abstain from any mission I wish to send him on, and despite his 'madness', he is a very capable fighter and one of very few chances – if not the only chance – the Guild has at fending off dragons and even in defeating Hydreigon. I want him to find his feet first, before we tell him anything like that."

Cleo made a thoughtful noise, but she wasn't convinced. "And what of him being a Heretic?"

"I do not wish to impart that. What if he decided to go back to them to find out more about himself, and incidentally turned on us?"

"Yes!" Spark snapped. "What if he does turn on us? Like before in the forest when he attacked Cleo?"

Tinker smiled. "Spark my friend, if you were to find yourselves in a situation where he goes out of control, I think you two are fully able to look after yourselves. You've done so once already."

Cleo and Spark exchanged glances and sighed.

"Fine," Said Cleo. "We'll comply with you this time, but I think you're being foolish to not tell him the whole truth, Tinker." She opened the door.

"He'll find out in due time. Take care. I'll see you back here soon enough."

Cleo glanced back at him. He'd returned to his desk, scratching away at his notes with a quill and ink. She closed the door behind her with a click and made her way down the corridor to the exit.

The two guards and Mischief were waiting at the end of the corridor. Mischief now sported a red blindfold over his eyes and the Pikachu had hold of one of his arms firmly. The Pikachu nodded when he saw them.

"This way."

They were led away from the large hall with the shops and markets towards a narrow corridor lit up with a small candle every few feet. After several minutes, the corridor sloped upwards. Cleo knew where it led – it was one of the Guild's many exits. Guild members rarely ever used the same entrance as an exit and vice versa. Only two could be used as both, and it was common practice to leave New City through a different exit than the one you came through. The theory was, if someone saw you enter one way, then come out the same way then they would likely know there was something hidden there and possibly find New City. If you went out a different way, it greatly reduced that risk.

The guards came to a halt and one of them used his badge to unlock a stone slab in the ceiling. Mischief was ushered forwards, followed by Cleo with Spark perched on her shoulder. They just made it through before the stone slab moved back into place on its impeccable timer.

Cleo looked around her. They were now in a small cave, lit up by the daylight that flooded through the opening in front of her. She took Mischief's paw and led him out of the cave.

This place had been nicknamed Silent Mountains for a reason – it was deathly silent. Even the wind made little noise, and not a single Pokemon could be seen for miles. Cleo hadn't marked it as a red cross on her map. Despite its emptiness, it was still safe for the Outcasts to step foot on. No dark Pokemon had been spotted here... yet.

She moved them along a little more until the cave was well behind them. The path was treacherous, loose rocks sliding beneath their feet and scuttling down the side of the mountain out of sight. The path soon smoothed out, levelling off and becoming a much safer path. Cleo took this opportunity to remove Mischief's blindfold.

He blinked a few times and looked around. "Whew! It's bright!" His voice echoed slightly in the emptiness.

Cleo elbowed him. "Keep it down. You don't want to attract any unwanted visitors."  
He nodded quickly and followed after her.

Cleo let out a soft sigh. This was going to be a long mission, if not a potentially fatal one.

...

**Please R&amp;R!**


	7. Disaster in the Mountains

**A/N - I'm trying to stick to two uploads a week. It seems to be working so far. Thanks again for all subscribers and reviewers!**

**The plot thickens. I hope you enjoy this chapter =D**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

7 – Disaster in the Mountains

"Enigma?!"

The Banette chuckled, leaning back on the wall in the throne room's darkest corner. The door had clicked shut before the Hydreigon turned his head to acknowledge his presence.

"So you're still here," Hydreigon growled. "Eavesdropping on my instructions to Harlequin I assume?"

"Of course. I was curious." Enigma shrugged and fiddled with the hem of his scarf. "I'm also curious as to why you've not assigned me any instructions yet? Since Harlequin and I are often sent out together."

Hydreigon let out a low growl that reverberated through the walls. Enigma briefly considered adjusting his density to slip through them to safety.

"I have different plans for you, Enigma." Hydreigon's growls came to an abrupt stop, making the room seem oddly silent. "I want you to run a special errand for me."

"Ooh?" Enigma looked up at him sharply, the hidden bell on his body letting out a ring of surprise.

"Yes." Hydreigon paused. "As you know, thanks to your incessant need to eavesdrop on the conversations I have with your superiors, Boomer was given information by Heretics, and unfortunately killed before he could give it to me." He turned his red eyes onto Enigma. "I want you to seek out which Heretics gave him that information and retrieve it."

Enigma's eyes sparkled. "By any means necessary. Got it."

"NO!" The dragon's voice caused Enigma to take a step back. "This is not an assassination, this is an intelligence mission. You gather information. That is all."

"But what if they don't speak?" Enigma inclined his head on one side and feigned a rather pathetic expression. "I have to make them talk somehow." He sighed and examined his claws. "And they're so much more willing when I scare them a bit."

"If you leave a trail of blood and cost me this information, mark my words I'll leave a trail of yours all the way back to the place I found you."

"Okay, okay." Enigma kicked himself back off the wall and made for the exit. "I'll do it the hard way." He opened the door.

"Oh and Enigma..."

He looked back at Hydreigon. "Yes boss?"

"Don't mess this up."

The warning laced in Hydreigon's voice gave the Banette shivers. He slipped out of the door and let it close silently behind him. A grin split across his face and he head back through the hall towards the main doors.

So he got to play with the Heretics. He couldn't deny he wasn't curious about the information they so desperately wanted to give to Hydreigon. This should be fun.

Maybe he'd run into the three Pokemon Harlequin had been sent out to assassinate.

He paused at the top of the stairs, high enough to overlook some of the Shadowlands. There, moving away from him was the unmistakable vibrant blue markings he was familiar with. A chuckle escaped his throat and he rose into the air, darting forwards and vanishing to reappear several feet away.

He couldn't teleport like psychic Pokemon could, but this method often used by ghost Pokemon allowed them to cover ground more quickly. Another two moves and he perched in a tree, looking back at the Zorua strutting along the path towards him, oblivious to the Banette's presence. Harlequin. One of Hydreigon's several aces, and a Zorua who puzzled many. Everything about them, including their gender, was shrouded in mystery. After many years, Enigma just assumed they were male. It complicated matters less.

"Oi! Harle!"

The Zorua paused and turned his blue eyes up to the branches of the tree. Enigma had always been amazed at the Zorua's appearance. To have blue markings was rare enough, but to also have blue eyes was even rarer.

"Oh, hi Enigma." Harlequin's voice was as androgynous as his physique. "Has Hydreigon sent you with me again?" He looked away and continued moving forwards.

Enigma followed him, sticking to the tree branches. "Nope! Not this time."

"Oh really?" Harlequin glanced up at him again. "Then why are you here?"

"Argh!" Enigma paused and clutched his chest. "You seem unhappy to see me!"

Harlequin closed his eyes and laughed. Enigma picked up pace and caught up with him.

"I've been sent on an intel mission," The Banette told him. "So you'll have to do without my assistance this time."

"I'm sure I'll be fine." Harlequin fixed him with one eye. "It's not the first time I've gone without your help."

Enigma grinned. "Good. Then hopefully you won't mess up."

Harlequin chuckled. "In all the years we've been working and training together, do you really have that little faith in me?"

"No no!" Enigma laughed. "You're a pro!"

"Sarcasm?" Harlequin looked up at him, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Get out of here, you shadowy mess."

"Fine! But let's get these missions over quickly eh? You owe me a rematch."

"Yes, so I can beat you again."

Enigma laughed heartily and rose into the air, floating backwards through the trees. "All right! We'll see about that! Later, sucker!" He flickered out of sight as he blended into the shadows.

...

"I don't like this." Spark crouched low in Cleo's fur and surveyed their surroundings. "I don't like this one bit."

The mountain trail turned sharply, but not without giving a brilliant view of the forest below. Or what was left of it.

The branches were sparse of leaves, yellow and brown and coating the floor with a dull, decaying blanket. Running through the core of the forest, the trees looked like skeletal warriors standing to attention beside a dried up river. The river was fed from the mountains, and would eventually end in a lake a good long walk away.

"What's going on?" Mischief asked. "Why does it look so dead?"

"Because it is dead," Cleo said flatly. "As for why, I've no idea."

"This has to be a recent thing?" Spark looked at Cleo. "It has to be! The Guild can't have not noticed this?"

Cleo blinked slowly as she stared down at the forest's remains. It didn't look like a recent thing. Nothing could wipe out trees like that so quickly.

"The best thing to do would be to have a look at it," she told them. "But first... I want to know why the river is dry."

Mischief turned to look at her. "Could the dry river be the reason the trees are dead?"

"It's a possibility, and not exactly an abstract one." Cleo scratched her ear. "Trees, like everything else, need water to survive. A drought would kill the trees but... it rained a few days ago."

"We should find the river's source," said Spark. "If it's still there, then there might be something blocking it. Like a big, lazy Snorlax."

"I'm not going to rule that out." Cleo tried not to laugh at the image of a Snorlax acting as an accidental dam. "Part of me wants to go back and speak to Tinker and see if the Guild is still getting water..." She shook her head. "No. Let's find the river's source."

"How do we do that?" Mischief asked. "It could be anywhere in this mountain." He spread his paws wide to gesture to their surroundings.

Cleo instinctively followed them and silently cursed the Whimsicott. She was now incredibly aware of how vast and huge the mountain was. Yes, the river could indeed start anywhere. There could also be more than one.

More than one little mountain spring that fed into one large river.

"It's lower down."

Spark sharply turned to her. "What?"

"It has to be." Cleo looked back down at the river. "Mountains generally have more than one spring running through them. They all join somewhere. The problem is lower down."

"Don't jump to conclusions!" Spark snapped. "Find one freely flowing spring,_ then_ jump to conclusions."

"Yes." Cleo looked back up at the mountain. "And that shouldn't be too difficult in a mountain as quiet as this one. Keep an ear open for flowing water."

They moved away from the view, following the path through the mountain. Foliage rose up along the path, obscuring the desolate forest and closing them off from the world below. They moved in silence, straining their ears to pick up any sound of running water.

All they heard was the gentle wind blowing through the rocks and shrubbery.

"Urgh." Spark rubbed her face with her paws. "Maybe we need to go higher up?"

"I still think the problem's further down." Cleo looked up at the steep, rocky slopes. Put one foot wrong, and any one of those rocks could give, causing a mountain slide and likely killing all three of them. She shook her head. "And I'm not the best at mountain climbing."

"I can have a look!" Mischief hopped across the rocks, giving them a wave as he twisted in the air, almost floating on the faint breeze.

Cleo opened her mouth to berate him for taking a stupid risk, but words failed her as she watched him hop lightly up the rocks without nudging a single one out of place. Calm washed over her, filling her with a new vigour to solve this unexpected mystery.

She continued down the path, keeping one eye on Mischief as he searched higher up the mountain, never moving out of sight.

One thing Cleo couldn't help but notice was the ground was bone dry. That was probably purely psychological however. Her thoughts were on the lack of water below, and everything was leading back to it.

After a while, the foliage parted again, giving a good view of the dried up forest. The sun was high above them now, but despite its presence there was still a chill in the air, only adding to the loneliness of the mountain and the horror of the tale that lay before them.

"Oh!"

Mischief's exclamation drew her attention back up to the mountain. The eccentric Whimsicott was hopping about, occasionally putting his ear to the ground.

"I hear water," he told them, posed with his rear in the air as he listened intently to the rocks. "Yes... yes, it's definitely water."

"Are you sure?" Cleo asked.

"I may have no memories but I know what water sounds like." He stood suddenly and turned to them, hopping and floating slowly back down the mountain.

Spark pointed. "Don't you think you should be following that?"

"I am." He paused and listened to the floor again. "It runs beneath your feet."

Cleo and Spark looked at the ground, their eyes moving over the edge of the mountain and to the dry river in the forest. Cleo edged a little further, poised almost precariously on the edge of the steep slope. She followed the river with her eyes back to the mountain. She swallowed drily.

"What is it?" Mischief stood carefully behind them so as not to spook Cleo and send her plummeting over the edge.

A wide cave opened part way up the mountain. Moving out of it was a deep crevice that ran down the remainder of the mountain to join the river below. It was also bone dry.

"Is that...?" Spark trailed off.

"It runs through the mountain." Cleo's voice wavered.

"Is that a problem?" Mischief asked, his voice thick with innocence.

Cleo bristled and rounded on him. "Of course it's a pro-" She began to fall backwards.

Mischief grabbed her flailing paw and hoisted her towards him, causing her to fall forwards and hit the floor on her stomach. Spark rolled off her shoulder and sat up a few feet away. She shook her little head and fixed her black eyes on Mischief.

"Watch what you're doing!"

"No..." Cleo pushed herself up. "It was my fault, I was careless." She stood up and dusted herself down before looking up at Mischief. "Did you just save my life?"  
Mischief shrugged. "I think so."

"For the second time..." Cleo trailed off as confusion filled the Whimsicott's eyes. He didn't know... and she couldn't tell him.

"Second?"

"Yes." She looked away and crouched so Spark could hop onto her shoulder. "You distracted that Noivern. Remember?"

"Oh yeh! With my glowing green ball."

"Energy ball," Cleo said flatly. "And yes. Okay, lets get down to that cave. I have a horrible feeling in my stomach."

"So do I," said Spark quietly. "That cave, the spring that runs through this mountain... where does it all go?"  
Cleo had a feeling but she didn't want to admit it. All she knew was something was blocking off the water supply, and it could go one of two ways – a natural accident, or a malicious intention.

She really hoped it wasn't the latter.

...

The path down to the cave was a precarious one. It would have taken too long to take the winding path, so they had to scurry over loose rocks and rough, jagged foliage in an attempt to reach the ominous cave.

Mischief made it look easy, skipping over rocks with all the grace a grass Pokemon could muster, occasionally riding the light breeze to float over more unsteady terrain. Cleo, on the other hand, had the increasing fear that she was going to cause a mountain slide. She might have been nimble on her feet on flat surfaces, but scaling a mountain wasn't at the top of her skills list. Spark had decided riding on her shoulder was much too risky at the present time and joined Mischief in hopping over rocks, but not anywhere near as graceful. Spark couldn't float, and at one point had slipped over some loose gravel and went riding down the hill on her bottom only to come to a stop when she reached some large leaves.

Finally, they reached the massive cave opening and perched just above it. Going down on either side was not an option. It was dangerously steep with no plants to hold onto. The rocks were also loose, providing no support. The fall might not be so far now, but it was still a very dangerous fall, met with many jagged rocks and sharp, broken twigs and branches from former trees that had met the fate of a rock slide.

"So..." Spark scratched her chin. "How do we get in?"

"Easy." Mischief peered over the edge of the cave. With a little hop, he flipped himself over the lip of the cave, vanishing out of sight without a sound.

Cleo strained to see over the edge, not wanting to shout out for Mischief perchance there was someone inside the cave. He poked his head out and looked up at them.

"Just do what I did," he said.

"Are you kidding?" Cleo hissed. "I can't float like you can."

"You don't need to. Just hold onto the edge and drop."

Cleo gave him a blank expression.

"It's not too steep," he added. "And I can catch you if you slip. Don't worry."

Cleo blinked.

Spark peered down at him. "Your lack of memories has clearly left you oblivious to the fear of plummeting to your death, hasn't it."

"I'd hardly say that's a bad thing," said Mischief.

Cleo grunted. "Fearlessness leads to foolishness."

Regardless, she took Mischief's advice. There really was no other choice. She turned her back to him, held on to the edge of the cave and let herself drop. She landed on her feet, shock spread through her legs and caused her to grit her teeth. But she didn't fall.

She'd been closing her eyes. She opened them and looked around the cave. The daylight lit it up just enough to see a little way into it. Yes, the river was indeed dry. And she still couldn't see why.

A soft 'oof!' resounded behind her and she looked back. Mischief was removing Spark from the fluff on his head. He set the Dedenne down and they both joined Cleo's side.

"No sense in standing around here staring into the dark," Spark said, leading the way inside.

Cleo silently agreed and followed after her with Mischief on her tail. The cave grew darker until Spark decided it was too much and discharged electricity, causing her to glow brightly. The light reflected off damp walls, making the entire place feel incredibly cold. Cleo couldn't help noticing a distant drip of water echoing off the walls in the distance. If there was water flowing further inside, then the blockage must be in the cave.

As they progressed further, the dry river seemed to expand in width, pushing them closer to the walls. It seemed pointless, since it was dry and they had no chance of getting wet. Cleo placed her paw on the wall as she moved, treading carefully and scanning the distance for any sign of a blockage.

A foetid smell reached them as a breeze blew through the cave and she crinkled her nose.

"What is that?" Spark coughed into her paws. "It smells like something dead!"

Cleo picked up pace, stepping over Spark in her haste. The little Dedenne let out a yell of protest and scurried on all fours to keep up with her. The light from her body flooded further into the cave and Cleo came to a sudden stop. Spark bounced off her heels.

"Oi!" Spark rubbed her nose. "What on earth- what..." Her large eyes widened.

Cleo's attention was on the wall a little further away from them. A large stone slab with the sun symbol that marked the Guild. An entrance to New City.

"Cleo?" Spark stood up and joined the Meowstic's side. "Did you know this was here?"

"I don't know all the exits." She tore her eyes off the gate and pushed herself forwards. "I have a really bad feeling about this."

The putrid smell grew stronger the further they went into the cave, and the sound of running water grew louder. The darkness seemed to thicken, so much so that Spark's electrical discharge could barely penetrate it. Their pace slowed as they strained to see in the darkness, fearing where they might put their feet.

Spark scampered on ahead, desperately trying to light the way. Cleo placed a paw over her nose as the smell was growing almost unbearable, causing the sick feeling of worry in her stomach to worsen.

"Urgh," said Mischief. "I picked a bad day to have a large breakfast."

"Then erm..." Spark stopped, her eyes fixed on something Cleo couldn't see. "You might want to look away from this."

Cleo trotted to join Spark's side, and froze. The Dedenne's light reflected off the surface of water, rippling as several streams ran down through the rocks to join it. It looked like a lake, held back by what at first glance appeared to be a rocky dam. But amongst those rocks were the decaying remains of several Pokemon. Mischief turned away and collapsed onto all fours as his breakfast decided to make a swift exit.

Cleo clenched her paw over the lower half of her face in a desperate attempt to shut out the smell, which now seemed a lot worse now she knew what was causing it.

One thing was for certain. This was very bad news. She had to inform Tinker.

"What were they?" Spark asked.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	8. A Nefarious Plot

**A/N - I'd made a booboo when I created a character which I fixed while reading over this. For some reason I had it in my head ground types were immune to poison. It wasn't until yesterday when my Cubone got poisoned in a Nuzlocke when I thought "seriously?!" So... not wanting to re-write an entire character 28 chapters into a story I decided to just make some tweaks. Hopefully it works.**

**Seriously, I'm sure I remember seeing 'doesn't affect ... ' while using a ground Pokemon once...**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

8 – A Nefarious Plot?

"Seviper." Tinker leant forwards over the dried river, holding Spark in one paw to shine light over the grim scene. Sharp, red spikes and long fangs stood out amongst the rocks and fleshy remains. "Definitely Seviper."

"Great," Said Spark. "Could you put me down now?"

Tinker obliged and set Spark down next to Cleo.

"I have one question," said Cleo. "Who would build a dam out of Seviper remains?"

"Easy." Tinker leant back against the wall, his red eyes fixed on the dam almost as if such a scene didn't phase him in the slightest. "It could be an assassin, or someone who has a grudge against the Pokemon that live in this area. Any vindictive soul really."

"Zangoose?" Spark asked.

"It's true Zangoose and Seviper have a long-burning feud against one another, but this goes far against their tastes. This could harm an entire eco-system." He scratched his nose. "Not to mention the poison type Pokemon are having a very difficult time right now. They're being tracked and chased away from their homes by the Shadow Lands. This reeks of malicious intent."

Cleo gritted her teeth. She knew what that felt like.

"But doesn't this water feed..." Spark nodded to the stone slab.

"Oh no, no." Tinker shook his head. "We've tapped into several mountain springs to direct the water straight to us. It doesn't come from a river. This did flow down into the forest, but now... I think it may be headed elsewhere."

Cleo stared over at the backed up water. Of course. It was draining off somewhere. It had to be, otherwise it would have overflowed the dam and fed back into the river.

She turned to Tinker. "How do we find that out? It's too dangerous for one of us to swim down there."  
Tinker crossed his arms. "Yes. We need someone immune or resistant to poison who doesn't mind getting wet. That rules out a pure ground type, definitely. Someone used to water would be best. I know." He turned to head back to the gate and paused to look back at them. "I won't be long. If you wish to wait there, you can. Otherwise, you can wait in my office? Or continue with the mission I assigned you?" His tone implied he hoped she'd take the final option.  
"No." Cleo shook her head. "I'd get answers faster if I waited here."

Tinker's face dropped and he turned away to open the gate. "Fair enough. I shall be back shortly."

Cleo looked down at Mischief. He was sat with his back against the wall, his paws crossed in his lap. Motionless. Clearly this had been a shock to him. She tore her eyes away and leant back on the wall herself and let out a sigh. If she were to put herself in his situation, being shocked at such a sight would leave her rather speechless herself. Maybe to such an extent she'd be reeling for days.

At the end of the day, the Seviper were still Pokemon. Something... someone... had killed them and used their bodies to build this dam. Used them to poison the river. To kill other Pokemon.

That was the likely scenario, and one that didn't sit well with her. Not just with her, with any level headed Pokemon with a sense of morality.

For Mischief, who'd just recently learned of the evil that filled the world they lived in, this was likely a very unwelcome eye opener.

And nothing Cleo could say would change that.

A dull grating sound signalled Tinker's return.

"Just over here," Tinker said. "I hope you have a strong stomach."

"A stomach of steel!"

Cleo looked over at the two Pokemon. Tinker was leading a Marshstomp towards them. Excellent choice. Ground, so he would resist the poison, and water so he would be able to see when he dived into the river. Sometimes she didn't give Tinker enough credit. He was a mad genius but he could certainly think on his toes.

The Marshstomp moved a pair of goggles from his forehead so they were covering his eyes. "So I'm just lookin' fer where it drains off then, aye?"

"Yes. And any sign of what may have done this."

Without a word, the Marshstomp slipped head first into the river, not creating so much as a splash. Within moments, his head appeared above the water.

"I can see where it's goin', sure enough, but the hole's too small fer me."

"Don't worry about that, Skipper," Tinker told him. "Can you see what made the hole?"

"Nay. It's clearly been made days ago. The water's washed away any claw marks."

Tinker sighed and ran a paw over his face. "That's fine. We'll just have to track it and see where it comes out. And hopefully block off the hole. But... it might be too late for that."

"We should clear the blockage away," Skipper told him. "Right enough, that'll get the river flowin' again, and away from where it's flowin' out."

"Days..." Tinker stared at the far wall.

"We can't do that!" Spark exclaimed. "If we remove it, all the poison will just flow into the lake!"  
"Aye. That's right enough." Skipper leant on the bank and moved the goggles back up onto his forehead. He looked up at Tinker. "Any suggestions?"

"Days..." Tinker didn't look at any of them. "How has this gone unnoticed for so long?"

Skipper inclined his head on one side but said nothing.

"Because we have no security in the forest or mountains," Cleo told Tinker flatly. "That's why."

"No, our security is all internal. But we still have Pokemon coming and going." Tinker nibbled his claw. "This has been going on without our knowledge and it chills me. Oh well. Can't be helped." He swiftly regained his composure and kicked himself back from the wall. "Skipper, we shall track this river and see where it goes. In the meantime, I'm going to rally up some Shroomish and Breloom and ask them to build a new dam, clear away this mess and remove all poison from the water. But first... Skipper, we need to block where this exits."  
"Ne'er a finer suggestion." Skipper slipped out of the water and stood a couple of feet away while the putrid water fell from his body. "Might I suggest stockin' up on pecha berries? We're gonna need them."

Tinker gave a nod. "True. As for you three." He turned to address Cleo.

"I already have a plan," Cleo told him. "Follow the dry river and see where it leads, what the damage is, and look for clues."

"No." Tinker crossed his arms. "I gave you orders and you're to stick to them. Find out why that Noivern was out during the day, and what he wanted."

Cleo waved a paw at the Seviper remains. "There's a chance he did this."

"Right ye are!" Skipper nodded his head. "If he were out during the day n'all."

Tinker narrowed his eyes. "I think we'd be aware of a Noivern flying about for days."

Cleo stared back at him. "But you weren't aware of this."

"Look!" Spark hopped up and down. "There's no sense in arguing over it! If either are linked, it will become obvious later! Let's just get out of this smelly place and look for clues!"  
"Do your job!" Tinker growled. "Both tasks will be dealt with accordingly, I can assure you. This river will be cleaned, and if the Noivern is linked then we'll discover that. The upside there is that the Noivern is already dealt with."

"But you didn't find its body," Cleo said flatly. "You fear it's still out there."  
Tinker grit his teeth and looked away. "Yes. Well, either way. Please leave now. I can't thank you enough for discovering this. However, I do need you to find the information I asked for."

Cleo nodded and turned away. "Very well. Keep me informed. We'll be back soon."

"Haste makes waste, Cleo."

She glanced back but said nothing. She moved on, following after Spark as she lit up the cave.

Cleo paused at Mischief, still sitting silently against the wall.

"Mischief?"  
He looked up at her, his orange eyes wide and fearful. Something twanged inside her chest but she didn't let it show. He wasn't cut out for this. Putting him through all this was just emotional torture.

"Come on." She looked away and moved past him.

She didn't look back, but the shuffles behind her told her he was following. And that the former spring in his step had been brutally beaten out of him.

...

Yurlik perched on the high stone wall that surrounded Hydreigon Castle, his red eyes surveying the surrounding areas of the Shadow Lands. His mind was reeling with many unanswered questions, the topic of which left an unwelcome nausea in his stomach.

Something had slaughtered Boomer.

And he was having severe doubts in the eye-witness reports from the Murkrow that were with him.

After he'd removed Boomer's body from Hydreigon's throne room, he'd taken the opportunity to look over it with some of his Murkrow brethren. It was unnatural. What had done it? And how? What Pokemon could leave a dragon in such a state? Even an encounter with a Lapras wouldn't leave a dragon in such a state, and there was no evidence of any use of ice attacks. An encounter with another dragon type, considerably stronger than the Noivern, was a possibility but an unlikely one. Most of the dragons that rebelled against Hydreigon had fled the Shadow Lands and were living as outlaws on the borders, and none of them would dream of facing against Hydreigon's ace for fear of their own lives – enough evidence had sufficed to put an end to any such actions on their parts.

However, the idea of a dragon having done it was ruled out by the wounds themselves. The claw marks weren't deep enough, or large enough, to be those of any known dragon Pokemon. There was also too much blunt trauma. The only dragons they could think of that would have done that were the smaller variety of their evolved kin – Bagon, Axew, Gible... an unevolved dragon wouldn't have been able to do it. Boomer would have made short work of them.

The news the Murkrow had given them was that the Whimsicott had done it.

No ice attacks.

No dragon attacks.

But somehow it had killed him. With ease.

Without even flinching under a dragon breath attack.

Yurlik wanted to be sick.

He refused to believe it. The thought frightened him. How could a mere Whimsicott succeed in such a feat?

He couldn't believe it. The Murkrow had to be mistaken.

But the evidence was in their favour. Blunt trauma, minor claw wounds, and the unmistakable fluff that stuck to the tacky patches of blood over the dragon's body.

The Honchkrow ruffled his feathers and retreated into himself, keeping his red eyes on the trees in the distance, unseeing, lost in his own fearful thoughts.

Something was happening, and he didn't like it.

Something, he feared, that would threaten an end to the Shadow Lands, and this was just the beginning.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	9. Follow the River

**A/N - Here's chapter 9. I feel like updating on a Friday and a Monday is a good pattern. That way there are two updates by weekend for those who can only read at weekend, and it's also easy to remember (for me anyway). Any preference, let me know. I may change it to a little later mid week maybe.**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

9 – Follow the River

"So we're ignoring orders?" Spark asked.

Cleo hopped down the rocky mountain path with careful steps, the cave now far enough behind them to be out of earshot of Tinker and Skipper. They were amongst the leafless trees that stood on either side of the dried up river, the brittle tufts of grass crunching beneath their feet.

"Not ignoring them," Cleo answered, the caution in her voice aimed more at her unsteady foot work. "Just bending them."

"Isn't that the same thing?" The Dedenne perched on the bough of a small fallen tree and looked back at her companion. "He specifically told us to look for evidence of the Noivern, not go following this dried up river."

"I have a feeling there'll be answers this way. Maybe not to the Noivern's whereabouts, but we may find out why he was here."

Spark shook her head and scurried across the tree branch. "I have to say I'm not liking this, Cleo. And not because I think you're going against orders. To be honest, I agree with you, this is vital."

"Then what's your problem?"

"My problem is it's a dragon. What if there's more of his kind out there? Waiting just a little way down this river to ambush us?"

Cleo didn't answer. She wanted to say they were okay, they'd survived it once before. But her doubts got the better of her. She looked back at Mischief lolling behind, his eyes on the ground, oddly silent. It wasn't without good reason. She sighed and slowed her pace, stopping in the shade of a rocky outcrop.

Spark came to an abrupt halt and looked back at her friend. "Second thoughts?"

"That's what I want to know." Cleo looked at Mischief.

He raised his fluffy head and stared at her through his orange eyes, the previous sparkle now gone.

"Listen," Cleo told him. "You don't have to come with us if this is too much for you."

"Cleo," Spark hissed. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Cleo ignored her, not taking her eyes off the Whimsicott. "This has clearly unsettled you, and I can understand if it's too much after all you've learned. So if you want to leave, now is your chance."

Mischief diverted his stare to the ground, his paws hanging limply at his side. Cleo could almost feel the Dedenne seething behind her and mentally prepared herself to take the brunt of her verbal abuse later. Mischief shifted, fidgeting his paws together and looked down at the empty crevice that was once the mountain's river.

"I'm not telling you to leave," Cleo went on, "But you are welcome to. The same applies if you want to follow us, but you are going to need a strong mind and a strong stomach in these kind of jobs."

She turned and continued her way along the river. Spark gave one final glance at Mischief before hopping up onto Cleo's shoulder.

"What are you doing?" She hissed in her ear. "He's been to New City. If he leaves, Tinker's going to tan your hide!"

"I'm fully aware of the risks, but he's traumatised." Cleo kept her voice quiet so Mischief wouldn't overhear her, but considering his current state he likely wasn't listening anyway.

Spark sighed. "I know your intentions are good, Cleo. But I'm still not entirely sure we can trust him. And it's pretty obvious Tinker doesn't."

"Tinker wouldn't trust his own nose if it wasn't attached to his face."

The Dedenne snorted and chuckled. "I agree with that. However, I can understand him on this one."

Cleo nodded. "Me too. But put yourself in his position."

"I have. And it would have made more sense to offer to take him back to Tinker."

Cleo glanced away from Spark. Yes, it would have made more sense. However, many years ago, didn't they try to flee from the evil around them? So shocked by the fire and screaming, they just fled... she grit her teeth and looked ahead, trying to divert her mind from such memories.

The mountain trail had levelled out now, the mass of rocks now replaced by huge patches of grass. But the grass was brown and brittle, scattered here and there with withered flowers poking out between a thick blanket of decaying leaves. The smell of rotting foliage filled her nostrils and her nose crinkled, not from the smell but from the knowledge of what had caused the destruction of the land around them.

Cleo slowed, and the crunch of leaves behind her signalled Mischief was still following them. She glanced back at him. He was still spiritless, barely seeming to take in what was around him. She shook her head sadly and cast her eyes over their surroundings.

Everything was brown, rotten. She couldn't believe this had only taken days. She also couldn't believe it had gone unnoticed for so long. The river had stopped, dried up, and everything around it had been shocked by the sudden mass of poison that had flowed through it.

The question was, did anything live around here?

She pressed on, keeping a watchful eye around her for any sign of life – former or current.

"You went quiet," Said Spark. "Is it because of all this?" She waved a paw towards the river bed.

"No, but it is occupying me right now. I'm wondering if there's anyone living around here."

"I doubt there will be. I mean... an Outcast village in the forest is very unlikely even without all this. It's dangerous, too many shadows. Too many hiding places for dark Pokemon."  
"I know. But it's worth checking. If there are survivors then there are likely witnesses." She hopped onto a fallen tree branch and paused, casting her eyes up and down it.

"What?" Spark asked, following Cleo's glances.

"This makes a bridge across the river." The Meowstic stretched herself up to her full height and looked across to the other bank.

"So?"

"Well if no one lived here, then why is there a bridge?"  
"Maybe it was used years ago? You know... before Hydreigon took over."  
Cleo shook her head and rubbed her paw over the branch. "No, there'd be moss on it. This has been used a lot recently."

"Argh." Spark rubbed her paws over her ears. "I have a bad feeling, Cleo. If something is living here, it isn't Outcasts. It's not safe."

Cleo made a thoughtful noise. "It might be Heretics."

"Then we should head back."

"No. We should keep going." Cleo followed the branch to the other side of the river. "Like I said, Spark. I think we might find the reason that Noivern was in the woods."  
Spark licked her lips nervously then hopped out of Cleo's neck fur. "All right. I'll scout from the trees and see if I can spot anything." She scurried up the nearest tree and clambered along the branches.

"Anything?" Cleo called up to her.

"Trees," Spark answered. "Lots of trees. Green ones."

Cleo nodded. They already knew the decay was confined to the river area, so she wasn't sure if Spark was being sarcastic or not. However, it ruled out any habitats that way.

"We'll follow the river some more," Said Cleo. "Stay up there in case you spot anything else, okay?"  
"Okay." Spark hopped along the branches above their heads, moving on ahead of them, sending down the occasional stray brown leaf.

They hadn't gone much farther when a voice behind them halted the Meowstic in her tracks.

"Uhm... Cleo..."

She looked back. Mischief was crouching beside a pile of fallen leaves, dusting them away slowly with his paw. A rustle sounded in the trees above her as Spark scurried back to them.

"What is it?" The Dedenne asked.

Cleo joined Mischief's side and peered down at the form beneath the leaves. A blue and white furry body lay beneath them. Moving them aside revealed the motionless form of a very young Pachirisu.

"It's a child," Cleo told her.

Spark flopped to her bottom in the branches. "What? Were they...?"

"Poisoned?" Cleo gently rolled the body over, checking it for any signs of external injury. There were none. "Yes. I'd say so."

"So you're right. There were Pokemon living around here."  
"Yes. And no Heretic mark." Cleo covered the Pachirisu with the leaves and stood. "And they don't have a Guild badge either."

Spark stared at her, mouth agape.

"Exactly." The Meowstic turned away from the leaves and pressed on. "That means there are Pokemon living here, and they aren't Outcasts or Heretics."

"What does that mean?" Spark asked.

Cleo looked back at her. "It means there are still peaceful places in this world."

Spark and Mischief stared at her, both of them at a loss for words.

The Dedenne blinked a few times. "You don't mean..."

She trailed off, but Cleo knew what she was trying to say. She nodded.

"Yes." She looked back at the dried up river, the dead grass and lifeless trees surrounding it, their gnarled branches reaching up like frozen limbs in a cry for help. "Whoever poisoned the river knows about it."

...

"Are you sure it's this way?"

Tinker scrambled over the rocks, following the Marshstomp as he almost seemed to glide over the mountain path. Tinker had no problems travelling over rocky terrain but Skipper's grace and agility in such environments put him to shame.

"Yup! Trust me on this one, Tinker. We water Pokemon can smell water from miles away!"

"I'm not doubting you, Skipper, but there's not so much as a trickle running over these rocks. How far away is it?"

"It's close. Right beneath your feet if ye want an exact location! But it comes out a wee bit further down."  
Tinker joined the Marshstomp's side as he perched atop a rocky outcrop.

"Look right there! There it is, sure enough." He pointed with a webbed claw. "Comes out right from that wall there."

Tinker followed his claw to a small waterfall, small enough to be easily climbed up if one tried. The water flowed down the mountain side, expanding in size and increasing in speed until it zipped off down the mountain with a ferocity that would deter even the most adept of swimmers.

"And the toxic water joins this river?" Tinker didn't need an answer. The dried up foliage poking out from between the rocks was all the information he needed. This river was indeed poisoned.

"Aye." Skipper shuffled his feet and looked down at the ground as though looking for something. "Right beneath our feet here. That's what I was following. If I'm right in my deductions, it comes out just 'ere."

"Can you handle the speed of this river to check?"  
"Sure! It aint too bad up this end. I'll be back in a wee second. Step back, I dinnae want tae splash ye."  
Skipper popped his goggles over his eyes then slipped into the water, barely letting any water breach the bank. He was back up within moments, scratching his head with his claws wearing a somewhat bemused expression. He nudged his goggles back to his head and clutched on to the river bank to avoid being whisked away downstream.

"I think we have a problem, Tinker."

"What is it?" The Riolu stepped cautiously forwards.

"Well there's a hole 'ere, right enough, but it looks like someone's tried t'block it."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Well it would be if it had worked. But it's not, ye see. An' there's nary a scratch to prove who made the tunnel, nor a scratch to show who tried t'block it."  
"Does this mean it can't be blocked?"  
"Oh it can, sure enough, but not while there's water rushin' through it. It's just pushin' all the dirt back out. Too soft, ye see. They need rocks, and even then there's nae sayin' it's not gonna shove all the rock's out n'all."  
Tinker scratched his ear. "Well if someone's tried to block it, it must have been a desperate attempt."

"An' if they dinnae have a small water Pokemon immune to poison, or a small poison type that can swim, then they wouldn't have been able to fit through this 'ere hole t'find where it was comin' from."  
Tinker nodded. "And you said any water type can follow it through the ground?"

"Aye, right enough."

"Okay. Let's follow this river and see where it takes us."  
Skipper carefully climbed back onto the rive bank. "If they're still alive then they're nearby."

"That's what I'm hoping, but it's bleak."

They moved away from the river and followed it down the mountain. As they progressed further, they had to move away from the back to avoid the spray as the water rushed over rocks with a frightening speed.

Skipper gave Tinker a sideways glance. "Ye dinnae have much faith in survivors then, aye?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure." Tinker looked over at the river. "If they sent someone down there to block the hole, then they must have been aware it's poisoned. Why block a hole without good reason? And if the Pokemon that did it wasn't immune then it would have been a suicide mission."

Skipper closed his eyes and nodded sadly. "It woulda been a noble one."

"Maybe so, but that would only be the case if this village has no Pokemon immune to poison. Like I said, I don't know what to expect. But we'll find out soon enough I guess."

"I am wonderin' one thing." Skipper gave him another glance. "Was this river the main target or was it both?"

Tinker made a thoughtful noise. "With the damage it caused it was either intended or a sacrifice to poison the main goal. However, I-"

"Och nae!"

Skipper's exclamation almost caused Tinker to leap from his skin. He span to look at the Marshstomp. He pointed frantically with a claw at something Tinker needed to squint his one good eye to see. Just a little way down the river, on the opposite side, barely visible beyond the bend, were a couple of wooden huts, hastily built like those in temporary outcast towns.

"If that were the target, Tinker, then the guy who did this is mental, right enough." Skipper ran a paw over his face and sighed.

Tinker had his doubts. He scrambled over rough rocks to avoid the river spray and rose higher to get a better view. The wooden huts were by no means a permanent fixture, that he was sure of. As he reached the top of the rocky mound, the little village came into view, revealing five of the wooden huts. Milling about them were three Breloom, a family of Shroomish and a couple of Zangoose.

Zangoose.

Tinker narrowed his eyes. No... no, it wasn't their style. They couldn't have done it, even with the rivalry between Zangoose and Seviper. It made no sense. Why poison two rivers?

"Zangoose, aye?" Skipper's voice was quiet, spoken close enough for Tinker to hear but not to carry down on the wind. "Nah, t'aint them, Tinker. What reason have they got?"

"None whatsoever." Tinker moved forwards, skittering down the other side of the rocky mound towards the little village. "But I do have questions."  
"Y'aint revealin' our city to them, are ye?" Skipper jogged to keep up with him.

"Of course not. I'm just going in there as a concerned party wondering what's happened to the mountain's rivers. Nothing more."

"They'll probably wonder why y'aint poisoned yeself."

Tinker paused and glanced down at the river. He had a point. It's not as if he'd evolved yet, so he lacked the steel typing and poison resistance of his evolved form. He shook his head and pressed on regardless. If these Pokemon were outcasts, then they'd know of him anyway. He was one of the Guild's elites. His appearance shouldn't be too much of a surprise.

He also didn't have much chance to change his mind. One of the Zangoose had spotted him.

"Don't touch the river!" The Zangoose shouted. "It's tainted!"  
"I know," Tinker called back. "That's why I'm here. I'm looking for survivors."

The Zangoose tutted. "Survivors? What's left of our village is back there." He nodded behind him to the wooden huts.

"How long have you been living here?" Tinker asked them.

"Not long, we lived downstream," The Zangoose called out over the roar of the river. "We're all that's left."

"It's hard to talk like this," Tinker told him. "Is there a way across this river?"

"Not a safe one. If I were you, I'd head back. We've got it covered here."

"Covered how?"

"We're drawing the poison out."

"Well you're not going to have much success," Tinker told him.

This comment caught the attention of the other Pokemon.

"What do you mean?" One of the Breloom asked. A hint of distress laced her voice.

"The source is leaking into this river from a tunnel under the water."

"Yes, we blocked it!" The distress became more desperation.

"Aye sorry." Skipper rubbed the back of his head. "Whatever ye blocked it with has been washed away."

"Again?!" The Breloom covered her face with her paws, her upset mirrored in the faces of those around her as they backed away from the river, staring at it with a hopelessness that tugged at Tinker's heartstrings.

He tore his attention away from the distressed Breloom and looked back to the Zangoose.

"We know where the source is," He told him, "And we are sorting it."

"You know?" The Zangoose took a step forwards. "Do you know who's done it?!"

"Afraid not." Tinker shook his head. "But I can tell you what it is if that helps."

"It's poison. One my kin are immune to," He told him.

"Yes. Seviper poison." Tinker's remark wasn't met with much surprise. "Someone slaughtered them and built a dam out of the remains in a cave a good way back there." He nodded up the river.

This remark was met with surprise. The Breloom paled and stared down at the river aghast. Even the Zangoose looked sick. He shook his fur violently as though trying to shake off the mental image.

"You have to be kidding?!" He barked. "What sadistic Pokemon would-"

Tinker raised his paw to silence him. "Don't worry, we're Guild members. We're currently looking into it. "

The Zangoose looked down at the badge on Tinker's neckerchief as though for the first time.

"So you are..." He chuckled. "Guild members... you do know we're members of The Shining Moon right?"

Tinker raised an eyebrow. "What?"

The Zangoose grinned, flashing his canines. "Oh you know... what you call 'Heretics'."

Tinker's heart sank. He'd had no idea, and surely this wasn't a safe situation to be in. He cleared his throat and smiled. "Well... regardless of that, you're still innocent in this. No one deserves to have their village wiped out."

"That's mighty humble of you." The Zangoose picked up a large rock in one paw and stared at it. "But we don't need help off you Guild members, little Riolu."

"Who's to say you haven't done it?" The Breloom snarled. "You could've poisoned this river and come down here to check we're all gone!"  
Skipper took a step forwards. "What utter nonsense ye spoutin'! We dinnae even know of yer presence until moments ago!"

Tinker put a paw on Skipper's shoulder and tugged him gently back from the river. He gave one final look at the Zangoose.

"Regardless, I can assure you that mess will be cleared up before dawn. Then you can finish cleaning the river with success."

They turned away from the river, heading back upstream. A loud splash erupted behind them and before Tinker could react, Skipper threw him sideways and deflected several large drops of toxic water. They landed with a soft patter on the dry ground around them.

Tinker looked up at the Heretics on the other side of the river. The large rock had gone from the Zangoose's claws and he stood sneering at them, the rest of his group watching them with fierce eyes.

The Riolu shook it off and rose to his feet, ignoring the enraged Heretics and walking away, Skipper keeping a watchful eye for any more attacks. Since the group were immune to poison, there was nothing stopping them crossing the river and giving chase. But not one made an effort to cross.

Once they were over the rocky mound that obscured them from sight, Tinker glanced back, keeping his ears open for any pursuers. He found himself wondering had he known they were Heretics if he'd have bothered offering to help them. But his words were still clear in his mind.

_'You're still innocent in this. No one deserves to have their village wiped out.'_

He knew deep down he likely would have. The Guild most certainly wouldn't have poisoned the river, but someone had and the increasing doubt of finding out who made his insides feel like lead. Something was happening, something that chilled him to his very core.

Heretics or not, if his gut feeling was right, there was going to be a time where they were going to have to work together, and that time may very well be soon.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	10. Nocturnal Noises

**A/N - Here's another chapter! I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

10 – Nocturnal Noises

Enigma had long since left the Shadow Lands behind him, trekking through the Border Woods following the non-existent trail the Noivern had left. Searching for the Heretics he'd allegedly spoken to was going to be like searching for a needle in a haystack. But he was adamant he'd find it. Hopefully news would spread throughout the segmented groups and he'd be able to track it down with ease.

Of course, there was no fun in that. It would cut his adventure short then he'd have to go back and await more orders.

Boredom was a constant problem when you rarely slept, and he was often trying to fill in the dry, dreary gaps between assignments. As such, he'd not stopped moving since he left Hydreigon's castle.

An entire day had passed and the sun was setting, a hazy orange hue expanding across the horizon, and tinting the clouds behind him a vibrant red. That always seemed to happen over the Shadow Lands and had become a compass point for returning assassins – follow the red clouds and you'll make it back.

It also kept wandering outcasts away.

For a brief moment, he actually considered stopping to relax and take in the scene, maybe grab a berry or two, not that he really enjoyed them. Ghost Pokemon prefer a more carnivorous diet. However, berries were easier to come by in these woods and were conveniently snack sized. With his high levels of boredom it had been difficult to not turn snacking into an idle hobby.

He finally came to a stop on a sturdy tree bough and let out a loud yawn. It might be more interesting than standing around waiting for something to happen and listening to the boring conversations of Yurlik's flock of goons, but wow, searching for Pokemon this close to the Shadow Lands was a drag.

Well, if he wanted to find the Heretic groups faster, he could try warping again. It was as fast as flying, but he couldn't keep it up endlessly. He might not need to sleep as much as other Pokemon do, but it was still tiring and everyone needs to rest at some point.

He launched himself across the tree branches and warped several feet ahead, repeating until he'd put a huge section of the Border Woods behind him. He only came to a stop when a small, unmistakable voice rose up from the undergrowth.

"Enigma?"

He grabbed on to a low hanging branch with his claws, steadying himself on the tree's precarious limb.

"I know it's you," The voice said. "I can hear your bell."

Two blue eyes stared up at him from the dark shadows by a bed of thick, thorny brambles.

"Ah!" Enigma grinned. "Harlequin!"  
The Zorua looked away and commenced stuffing a small sheet of cloth into a bag.

"You camped out here?" Enigma asked.

"Of course. Nothing lives here any more."

"Well, I wouldn't say that." Enigma leant against the trunk of the tree and looked down at the Zorua. "Outlaws pass through here from time to time."

Harlequin snorted. "They're no threat." He grabbed the handle of his bag in his teeth and threw it across his back.

"You know, I've been travelling without a break since we parted ways." Enigma inclined his head on one side. "Interesting how you managed to get ahead of me."

Harlequin raised an eyebrow. "Is that really a surprise? I know these woods like the back of my paw."

"Oh, of course. You used to live here."

Enigma grinned at Harlequin's disapproving glare. With a tut, the Zorua skipped away over the foliage.

"If you intend on following me," Harlequin called back, "then lay off the teasing."

Enigma chuckled and bounced across the branches after him, his bell jingling jovially with each leap. "Oh come on, Harle, you know I only jest!"

Harlequin gave him a smile. "I know. But leave the past where it is." He zipped through a thicket out of sight.

That was the card Harlequin always kept close to his chest. Enigma found he was more of a mystery then he himself claimed to be at times. No matter how much he pried, Harlequin would never reveal it, and for some reason Enigma valued his trust too much to risk losing it.

Not that he particularly wanted to stand here thinking about it.

The branches of the trees in the thicket were too spindly for Enigma to climb over so he had to resort to warping. The Zorua was perched on the edge of a small brook having a good, long drink. Enigma materialised in the tree above him and yawned.

"If you're bored," Harlequin told him, "you don't have to follow me. I'm going to be a little while before I set off again."

"No, trust me. This is the most interested I've been since I set off."

The Zorua licked his lips and sat down, removing his bag and rummaging through it.

"Well I'm going to have a quick evening snack," he said. "You can wait if you want, but do you really have time to waste?"

"What Hydreigon doesn't know won't bother him." Enigma twisted on the branch and swung himself upside down, his scarf cascading down onto the Zorua's head.

Harlequin shook it off sharply and looked up at him. He gave the Banette a playful grin, flashing his canines.

"You know, if I were any other Pokemon, you'd have received a thorough beating by now."

Enigma tucked his arms behind his head. "It wouldn't be the first time."

Harlequin chuckled but didn't reply, too busy pulling dried meat and berries out of his bag.

Enigma watched him, remembering the first time they'd been assigned a mission together. It had baffled him how Harlequin could carry food around in the same bag he carried his poisons. When he'd asked, the Zorua had simply answered that he was careful about it. The bag was specially made so both were separate, and water resistant so any leaks should they happen wouldn't taint what was on the other side. And should a freak incident happen, he could sniff them out anyway.

His words – only a foolish assassin wouldn't think to sniff out any poisons on the food offered to him.

Harlequin looked up at him suddenly. "Do you want anything?"

Enigma closed his eyes briefly and shook his head. "No thanks. You need it more than I do."

The Zorua narrowed his eyes at him. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

Enigma chuckled. "It means you could do with some fattening up."

"You cheeky little..." Harlequin grabbed a piece of meat and jabbed it at the Banette. "Here. Take it before I force it down your throat."

Enigma gave a mock sigh of defeat. "Fine." He took it and stuffed it in one of the folds of his scarf for later.

Harlequin noticed this but said nothing, tucking into his meal. Enigma stared out across the little brook, watching as the light faded away, the orange disappearing from the sky to be replaced by a deep blue. The moon was clearer now, hovering above them not quite full. Most dark Pokemon preferred to travel at night, but it did mean less outcasts or Heretics were wandering about. Finding them would be much more difficult at this time of day.

"Right!" Harlequin threw his bag back over his back. "I'm ready. Are you coming?"

Enigma flipped himself back up onto the branch of the tree. "I guess I can tag along until we leave the woods."

"You guess?" Harlequin laughed. "You want to come along, why else would you be following me?"

"Boredom."

The Zorua glanced back at him, his blue eyes sparkling. "You're lonely."

Enigma feigned an insulted expression, prompting another laugh from Harlequin.

"I don't get lonely," he told him. "I get bored."

"Don't be silly!" Harlequin skipped along ahead of him. "You'd go mad if you had no company."

"Yes. With boredom."

Harlequin's tinkling laughter filled the air as Enigma followed him through the woods. It certainly wasn't boring with Harlequin around. It meant he could tease someone who could dish it back out in good measure. The Banette chuckled to himself, bouncing through the tree canopy after the Zorua. Time would fly by a little faster, then he'd have to resume his mission.

...

"Cleo, it's getting too dark," Spark whispered close to her ear.

"I know, but we've not found anything yet." Cleo continued moving along the dry river bed, searching the shadows for any sign of life, any more evidence that peaceful Pokemon still lived here. Despite the dark, her vision was still clear. Something she valued when she found herself still roaming at night, a prime target for Hydreigon's assassins.

"I really think we should go back," said Spark. "I know Tinker asked us to find information, but this isn't it. We already found some evidence, we can come back tomorrow."

"But we've come so far. And by the time we get back, it will be the thick of the night anyway."

"Spark has a point."

Cleo looked back at Mischief.

"That Noivern that attacked us," he said. "It wasn't meant to be out in the day. It's ideal time is at night. Nothing can beat one in the dark, am I right?"

Cleo nodded. "Yes. You're right."

"Then what if there's more? I don't remember that battle, but if we beat one in the daylight then... can we really do it at night?"  
'_You can_,' Cleo thought, but she kept it to herself. Mischief still had no idea, and telling him now would probably break him.

Spark's lack of words told her she was probably thinking the same thing.

Cleo sighed. "All right. We'll go back."

She moved past Mischief and followed their footsteps back up the river.

"But we must come back here tomorrow," she told them. "If there are any peaceful Pokemon living along here, we need to find them."

"If they're still alive," said Spark.

Cleo grit her teeth. She wanted to be optimistic, but unfortunately finding survivors was unlikely. Not just because of the poison, but because every living Pokemon needed a water source. Everything had to drink. If this had indeed been going on for days, any survivors would clearly have moved on by now.

All they had to go by was evidence.

Maybe the Pachirisu was enough proof. For now at least.

Cleo closed her eyes and sighed. "We'll go and inspect where we found the Noivern tomorrow."

"Are you sure?" Spark asked. "I mean... if we find anything here, it's big news, Cleo."

"We need to finish off what Tinker asked us to do. If this takes too long, any evidence he wants us to find will be harder to come by."

"The same applies here."

"Why don't we tell Tinker about it," Mischief suggested, "and I can help him look."

Cleo turned to face him with such speed Spark almost went whizzing off her shoulder and had to clutch onto her fur for dear life.

"You... you want to help him search?" Cleo failed to mask any surprise in her voice, and it was reflected in Mischief's face.

"Yes," he said. "I was unsure at first. To be honest... after finding those Seviper in the river, and seeing all the damage it's done... I just wanted to run. But we found that little Pachirisu, and seeing what you guys do, looking for survivors, sure we haven't found any but I want to help you."

"You want to help us?" Cleo looked around. "After seeing all this?"

"Yes, I want to help other Pokemon." Mischief's voice came out stronger than it had been before. All unease and wariness seemed to fade. "If there's so much evil out there, I want to help stop it. It's not fair that so many Pokemon have to suffer like this, and it's not fair to run from it either! If I can help, then I want to." He paused. "I want to join the Guild, like you two."

Cleo stared at him silently. Spark didn't say a word. Earlier, this Pokemon had been so shocked all the wind had been taken out of his sails. And now it was back with a perseverance Cleo found both admirable and foolish.

Shock could make one do one of two things – flee, or fight. Mischief did not flee. He had followed them. He was offered to leave, and he'd stuck by them.

Now he wanted to join them.

Cleo smiled. "We can talk to Tinker."

Mischief returned her smile, a somewhat more solemn one than the cheery one he'd worn just earlier that day.

"Great," he said. Then his smile fell and was replaced with confusion. "Is he in charge by the way?"

Cleo shrugged. "I don't know. But he's one to talk to." She glanced sideways at Spark. "Have we ever seen the boss?"

Spark shook her head.

"Huh." Cleo shrugged again. "One of the Guilds many mysteries I guess."

They strolled back up the river with haste, desperate to get back before the sun finished setting. They chatted, keeping their voices low so as not to attract attention. The mountain might be quiet and seemingly devoid of life, but this forest was a different matter. It didn't feel dangerous, but when the night came dangers followed.

They'd made good progress, when a soft rustle reached their ears. Cleo froze and she glanced to the trees.

"You heard it too?" Mischief whispered.

Cleo nodded and crept towards the source of the sound. She peered through the trees, searching the shadows, bracing herself for any attack.

None came.

There was nothing there.

"It's gone."

Cleo looked back at Mischief. Spark was stood next to him. She hadn't even noticed the Dedenne leave her shoulder, too fixated on seeking out whatever may have been lurking in the trees.

She followed their eyes.

A patch of leaves lay scattered about the trees, and in the middle of it lay a patch of flat, dead grass as though something had been lying on it.

Her eyes widened. Something had.

"The Pachirisu," she said quietly. "Someone took it?"

"Well he clearly didn't get up and walk," Spark quipped.

"Why would..." Cleo shook her head. "Come on. We need to leave. I'm starting to feel uneasy."

"Seconded." Spark bounded back up to her shoulder.

Mischief glanced back at the trees before following after Cleo. The sun was swiftly setting. Time was against them.

Cleo feared they may not make it back before dark.

And whatever was in those trees, she feared might be watching them.

"I think we're being followed," she whispered.

Spark gulped.

They needed to make a quick and drastic decision. Endangering three lives was certainly better than endangering a whole city.

"It might be safer," Cleo went on, quiet enough for only Spark and Mischief to hear her, "if we don't head back at all."

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	11. An Assassination Attempt

**A/N - Here's chapter 11. It's a little longer than previous ones. I hope it satisfies until Friday's update!**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

11- An Assassination Attempt

Night had fallen, and something was watching, leaving Cleo and her companions with no choice than to stay outside.

None of them dared sleep. They sat sheltered in the dry foliage, not daring to use their tent. It was too much risk. It was like waving a flag while shouting 'Here I am! Come and get me!'

The three of them sat silently, trying to keep their breathing as quiet as they could, watching through the space between the large leaves that masked them from view. Nothing moved, nothing made a sound, but that ever present feeling of being watched hung over them like a heavy frost, chilling them to their bones.

Time seemed to drag past as morning showed no sign of drawing closer. Spark peered out of Cleo's neck fur, keeping her large black eyes on the sky while her ears twitched back and forth at every sound the Dedenne thought she heard, occasionally startling Cleo who was beginning to doubt if her hearing was as good as Spark's. Mischief sat beside them, as tense as a tightly coiled spring.

Nothing moved.

Even the wind barely stirred the tree branches or foliage around them. The almost non-existent wind wouldn't be carrying their scent to waiting predators, betraying their hiding place.

But that ever present feeling of being watched was becoming too much to bare. Instinct was starting to kick in, and it was starting to win.

Cleo wanted to flee, all previous urges to fight knocked out of her. If it were a dark Pokemon, she had no moves to take them out. It would be pointless.

But that's where her friends came in.

She glanced at Spark, then down at Mischief. She had to remind herself that Whimsicott took out a Noivern, memory of it or not, he did it. Also Spark took out three Weavile, and that wasn't even the extent of her abilities.

Whatever was waiting, they'd give them a run for their money.

She relaxed and diverted her attention from the sky, settling on waiting out the inevitable calm before the storm. Playing out scenarios in her mind wasn't going to get them anywhere. They just had to wait. Wait for what may or may not happen.

_Crack!_

All three of them leapt to their feet, Spark landing on the ground between Cleo and Mischief.

Something rustled in the dead, dry grass behind them. They span on the spot. Then it moved to the other side. They twisted again, Cleo unfurling her ears to ready an attack.

An explosion of snapping brittle twigs sent Cleo leaping sideways, narrowly avoiding a dark shape as it cut through them, snipping several strands of fur from her tail. A flash of discharged electricity from Spark lit up their little hiding spot, gleaming of the surface of the shadowy form's body, but not enough to reveal it as it zipped out of sight, narrowly avoiding the Dedenne's attack.

Another cut through the brambles, followed by a flurry of white cotton as Mischief span out of the way with a surprising amount of grace. As quick as it appeared, it was gone.

They braced themselves for another assault, desperately trying to calm their erratic breathing to hear any sign of movement.

It was deathly quiet.

Whatever that Pokemon was, it was gone.

None of them said a word, all likely wondering the same thing. Should they stay, or move on? Was that Pokemon trying to draw them out by making them feel unsafe? Would it come back?

All of them were shaking.

It was too dark for Cleo to examine herself for injuries. She didn't hurt anywhere, but whatever that Pokemon was had sharp claws. Too small for a Weavile. A Sneasle maybe?

Whatever they were, they clearly had the advantage at night. Blending in, with incredibly quick, agile movements and amazing speed. It was a flawless strategy.

You can't hit what you can't see.

...

"They didn't come back."

None of them had spoken since nightfall, so when Spark spoke, it startled both Cleo and Mischief. More so the latter, as the Whimsicott's feet actually left the floor.

It was morning now, and they'd set off as soon as the sun began to rise. It was now clear in the sky, with barely any clouds. This made it deceptively colder than it looked to be. A dusting of frost coated the dry leaves, which was swiftly melting under the sun's rays. But it was still chilly, and Cleo's fur was damp from the morning frost.

"No, they didn't," said Cleo. "I'd like to know what they were planning."

"I think they were trying to draw us out," said Spark.

Cleo nodded. "I think that too. I also think they took that Pachirisu's body."

"Maybe it was just a warning?" Mischief suggested. "Like... we know you're there. Stay out of our business."

"We?" Cleo looked at him.

"There were two." He shrugged.

"How do you know that? Did you see them?"

"No. But one came from the other side too quickly. One Pokemon can't be that fast, can they?"

Spark raised an eyebrow. "Oh... I don't know. Some Pokemon are exceptionally quick."

"I'd say they were an assassin," said Cleo. "And if their claws had hit us, we'd be dead."

She indicated to her tail. The damage wasn't visible to the naked eye, but one small area had received a bit of a trim. Mischief clearly didn't notice. He just followed her paw then went back to watching where he was going.

"I'm glad we waited that out," she went on. "I no longer feel like we're being followed, and if we'd kept going we'd have likely led them the whole way back."

She kept her voice low just to be on the safe side, but she was convinced that the Pokemon had left. They were no longer under any immediate threat.

Despite being tired and hungry, they covered ground quickly. Before they knew it, they were traversing the rocky surface that led up the side of the dry river, ending at the cave mouth. Despite Cleo's unsteady paw work over loose rocks, they reached the cave in no time.

But they weren't alone. Milling around the cave lugging heavy rocks were two Breloom and Skipper.

"Well, whadaya know! It's Cleo!" The Marshstomp gave them a friendly wave.

"Are you clearing the river?" Cleo asked.

"Aye, that we are!" He leant against the cave wall and nodded to his companions. "First we build another dam, an' then we clear the mess! Afore ye know it, the river'll be back to flowin' clean as ever, aye?"

"Oh good!" Spark poked her head out of Cleo's fur. "Because I'm pretty thirsty! I was licking frost off my paws this morning!"

Skipper let out a deep, throaty laugh. "Ahh, right enough. Ye get in there. Tinker's been worryin' himself sick, he has. Wondered where ye all got off te. I take it ye dinnae go where he asked, aye?"

"Not quite." Cleo moved passed him into the cave. "But I'm sure he'll be satisfied with what we found out."

"I think he'll just be satisfied ye still alive'n'well, Cleo."

Cleo could see Spark's massive grin out of the corner of her eyes.

"Stop it," she hissed at the Dedenne.

Spark just chuckled and hopped off her shoulder. "Well I'm hungry. Let's hit the dinner hall."

Cleo used her badge to open the sliding stone panel in the wall. The three of them slipped inside before it clicked back into place. The tunnel that lay before them was a long, winding one that led down into the depths of New City, lit up by candles running along the walls. The end of the tunnel opened up into a wider corridor that took them past the doorway to a large room, shouts and cries coming from it.

"What's that?" Mischief asked.

"The training room," said Cleo.

She didn't elaborate, focusing instead on getting to Tinker as fast as they could. Spark on the other hand was focused intently on getting to the dinner hall, skipping along ahead of them, humming to herself.

The corridor ended at the main hall, the room filled with the bustling noise of chattering Pokemon visiting the various market stalls, and the laughs of little ones playing, oblivious to the outside world.

"Cleo!"

She turned sharply. Tinker was running over to them, a look of relief on his face.

"Ahh, we were just going to your office," she told him.

"I wasn't," said Spark. "I'm gonna go to the dinner hall. I'll meet you there." She turned to leave.

"I wouldn't bother," Tinker told her. "Dinner isn't served for another two hours yet."  
Spark looked at him, her mouth open and eyes so wide they seemed to fill her face. Words clearly failed her, instead coming out as a long whine.

"Sorry." Tinker smiled. "I do have some berries in my office though."

"Seriously?" Cleo raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. I didn't make it to breakfast this morning so Skipper bought me some while he was on his way to the river. Did you see him on your way up?"

"Yes. He explained what they're doing."

"Good. Saves me the job." He turned and led them to his office, the noise of the hall fading behind them. "You can tell me what you discovered instead, in detail."  
Once inside he let the door close fast behind them. Spark made a beeline for the tray on a portable table beside his desk.

Tinker flopped down in his chair and turned to face Cleo and Mischief.

"I trust Mischief was blindfolded when you came back here?"

Cleo froze. "Ah-"

"Cleo..." Tinker sighed and closed his eyes.

"Well, he knew about that entrance anyway," she said. "Let's face it. You and Skipper went in and out of it while we were investigating that 'dam'."

Tinker clasped his paws together and fixed her with his eye. "We may have to hold him here until we decide who's side he's on. Even knowing one entrance is a risk."

"And you can't fault your own oversight on this?" Cleo's voice almost came out as a hiss.

"I'm on your side." Mischief spoke up, drawing all eyes in the room.

"How can we be so sure?" Tinker asked. "You have no memories, your life is a mere mystery. You're an outsider to the Guild, you have no badge to show you belong here so where is your allegiance?"

"With you," Mischief said bluntly.

Tinker shrugged. "Evidence?"

"My word should be enough."  
Tinker chuckled. "If words were enough, we'd have a lot of trouble with the enemies we hold in our cells."

"Look." Mischief took a step towards Tinker. "If Grey couldn't find any hint of where I'm from in my memories then I clearly don't have them. None. Nothing. It's where I am now that matters, and where I am is here on your side."

Tinker merely stared at him.

"I've seen too much out there, and I don't like it," Mischief went on. "I've seen enough to know I want to fight against it. I want to help Cleo and Spark, and I want to help you. If you don't trust me, then that's your decision. But I can give you my word I will not ever, no matter what happens to me, reveal New City to any Pokemon outside it."

"Not even to other Outcasts?" The Riolu gave him a hard stare.

"No. I won't even breathe its name outside these walls."

Tinker's demeanour didn't change. He fixed Mischief with such a cold stare that Cleo practically felt it.

"Come on Tinker," she said. "He even told me he wants to be a Guild member. Even after all he's seen, he's still willing to help."

Tinker closed his eyes. "This coming from the Meowstic who refuses to take another companion?"

Mischief turned his head to look at her.

Cleo said nothing. She hadn't considered that. But now he'd mentioned it, she wondered why. Was she really willing to travel with Mischief? Yes, but what had changed?

"If you see potential in this Whimsicott," Tinker still kept his eyes closed, "someone like you who refuses to travel with anyone you fear you have to carry, then clearly there is something about him that's intrigued you?" He opened his good eye to look at her. "What is it, Cleo? The fact he can take down a dragon? Or any of Hydreigon's henchmen?"

The room was silent for a moment while Cleo let this all sink in. Spark had even stopped eating, clasping a berry between both paws, staring from one Pokemon to the other in sheer bewilderment.

Cleo finally looked up at Tinker. "You're right."  
Both Tinker's eyes snapped open and he stared at her with mild amusement.

"It's because I don't have to carry him," she said. "I know he'll watch my back, and I'll watch his. I can't speak for Spark, but if she's happy with him on the team-"

"Yeah, I'm good with that." Spark stuffed the berry in her mouth.

Tinker smiled and looked at the Whimsicott. "All right. Mischief, you are a probationary Guild Member." He reached out to his desk and turned a key in the drawer, pulling out a shiny sun-shaped badge which he handed to Mischief. "Wear it where others can see it. Cleo wears hers on her bag. Spark has hers on her scarf."

Mischief took it and turned it in his paws. "I guess I can wear it round my neck like Spark but I don't have a scarf."

Tinker waved a dismissive paw. "Pick one up at the market. Now. To business. What did you three find?"

Cleo had been mildly dreading this. She licked her lips and clasped her paws behind her back.

"Well, we didn't make it to the forest."

"No?" Tinker stared at her.

"No. We followed the river, in case there were clues to the Noivern's presence down there. Maybe if he'd caused it or-"

"So you went against my orders?" Tinker narrowed his eyes. "That isn't what I asked, Cleo."  
"No but hear me out!" Cleo implored. "We found something very important down there."

Tinker sighed. "Go ahead."

The three of them explained the events of the previous day – finding the Pachirisu and what it might mean, to the events of the night where they were assaulted.

At the end, Tinker was silent for a moment before finally speaking up.

"I can't say what you discovered lacks importance. If that Pachirisu really wasn't an Outcast – I won't rule that out as its badge could have been looted from it – but it could mean there are indeed peaceful Pokemon out there. If this is the case, I would like to investigate it further. But!" He added this before any of them could speak. "I want you to find out why that Noivern was out during the day. If at all possible, that is. Look for evidence, ask around if need be. That is your assignment for today. Do not fail me."

The three of them nodded.

"Okay," said Cleo.

"Now, Skipper and I found where the river was leading out, and I feel obligated to tell you that there are Heretics living in the mountains. Or there were. There are some left, desperately trying to clean up the river. It may be them that attacked you last night, or it may have been some of Hydreigon's henchmen. Whoever it was I am guessing they had something to do with poisoning the river. As such I am ruling out the Heretic group who we ran into yesterday, as they were deeply distressed at the river being poisoned. Keep an eye open, just in case it happens again. You did the right thing not coming back last night, and I thank you all for risking your lives to keep New City safe."  
"Heretics in the mountain?" Spark shook her head. "This close to New City? Oh, that can't be good."  
"Trust me, we'll be keeping an eye on them." Tinker turned to his desk. "Now, I will look into this matter concerning the Pachirisu you found. You please stick to your assigned task. Oh and before I dismiss you!" He leapt off his chair and scurried into the adjoining room marked 'keep out'. This prompted the others to exchange glances before Tinker came back out, clutching an odd gadget in his paw.

"This will allow us to maintain contact." He handed it to Cleo. "Press that red button and speak into it. We can stay in touch this way, but only within the vicinity of New City. If you go too far out of it, the signal won't carry."

Cleo stared at the odd, white, plastic box with its huge read button and long, black antennae. She looked up at Tinker.

"This? I've never seen anything like it."

"As you know, I like to mess with gadgets." He gave her a smile. "I have one myself, so I can reply to your messages." He indicated the large, white band around his wrist. "It's a bit of an upgrade and I only have the one. In the meantime, use that if you need to tell me anything urgently."

Cleo tucked the device into her bag. "I can't help but think your giving me this to make sure I do my job."

"I'm not denying it." He turned back to his desk. "Okay, now you're dismissed. Grab any supplies you need and be on your way."

Cleo and her friends left the room and the door closed behind them, giving a firm sense of dismissal. As they made their way down the hallway, Mischief turned to her.

"What did he mean by probationary Guild member?"

Spark folded her paws behind her head. "It means if you put a paw wrong, you'll be removed from the Guild and put in the cells with the rest of the bad guys."

Mischief paled. "But I'm not a bad guy!"

Spark grinned. "Then you should have nothing to worry about."

...

The route back down to the Moorland's Forest felt shorter than it had done a couple of days ago. Cleo attributed this to the fact she'd had to carry Mischief all the way there while keeping an eye open for enemy attacks.

Once at the forest, Tinker was proven right. The body was indeed gone, all that was left was a large patch of dried blood and a scattering of black feathers. The sight brought back unwanted memories, chilling Cleo to the core. She tore her eyes from the scene and moved away from it, pressing through the trees.

"Where are we going?" Spark asked from her shoulder.

"Keep your ears and eyes open," Cleo told her. "We're looking for clues."

"Away from that spot?" Spark pointed behind them. "Wouldn't clues technically be in that spot?"

"We looked. There's nothing there." Cleo paused, her ears twitching. "I think there's something in this forest," she added under her breath.

Mischief paused beside her, fiddling with the newly acquired badge on the orange neckerchief he now wore.

"You think we're being watched?" He asked.

Cleo nodded. "Let's keep moving. If we stand still, we're sitting targets."

They moved on, putting the morbid spot behind them. The forest was quiet. Like the rest of the areas surrounding New City, very few Pokemon lived in them. The next Outcast town was more than a two day's walk away, so any Pokemon that passed through the woods were either travelling Guild members or dark Pokemon looking for prey. The Heretics in the mountains were the first to be discovered in this area so they clearly kept a low profile.

As for clues, there were none. No more black feathers littered the ground. The forest was silent, causing Cleo to wonder if the feeling of being watched was nothing more than paranoia.

A Noivern. A Noivern out during the day accompanied by Murkrow. It was an odd combination. Why would one be out during the day? Where was it going? No... where was it coming from?

Cleo looked up at the canopy. Barely any light came through at this point, so she had no view of the sky. Where was the Noivern going? She turned to look back where they'd come from. She could no longer see the spot the Noivern had fallen, but she could see it in her mind.

Where was it going?

"He was going home." Cleo's voice was quiet as she mulled this over.

"What?" Spark stared at her from her collar.

"He was going home. The Noivern." She turned to face where they were going. "He came from this way. The way he was headed was the Shadow Lands. He spotted us and targeted us, but he was going home. He wasn't looking for anything."

"But he attacked us. Why?"

"An opportunity." Cleo hopped over a large root protruding from the ground and pushed her way through a thick patch of foliage. "To be out during the day, he must have been travelling without a break to get home faster. All we can assume is he was in a hurry."

"How can we be sure he was even heading home?" Spark asked. "He could have just been flying about for fun."

"During the day with escorts?"

Spark made a thoughtful noise. "Good point. Noivern. Of course." She retreated back into her collar and sighed. "It does make sense. But why would he be rushing back?"  
"That's what we're going to find out. Maybe he found something in this forest?"

"Found something." Mischief's voice almost startled Cleo. "You mean like what we found yesterday?"

Cleo glanced at him. "Exactly. Maybe there's peaceful Pokemon living in this forest."

"Why would that concern him?" Came Spark's muffled voice.

"It would point to who poisoned the river," Cleo explained. "If this is indeed the case, we're on to something."

Spark's head shot out of Cleo's neck fur. "I think we need to run."

Cleo froze, her ears twitching once more. Spark was right. Something was in this forest with them, watching. No... moving...

She dived to the side, twisting in the air as a black blur shot past them, vanishing like smoke into the brambles. Within moments, it was back. But they weren't aiming for Cleo.

Mischief leapt aside, his light body floating as he threw a flurry of cotton balls at their assailant. The blur slowed, shaking its head wildly to remove the irritating cotton spores from its eyes.

Cleo's eyes widened. Their assailant was a Zorua, and not just any Zorua. Their markings were blue rather than red, and held in their mouth was a large, purple horn mounted on a wooden handle.

Blue...

She'd heard of this Zorua. They were a feared assassin that Hydreigon only allegedly sent out under special circumstances. So why was Mischief their target?

She tutted. There was nothing she could do to a Zorua long range, and to get in close would put her in striking distance of that horn, and if it was what she feared it was, that would be suicide.

"This isn't good," Spark muttered.

She leapt from Cleo's shoulder and shot into the trees, unleashing a sharp jolt of electricity at the Zorua. They calculated this and leapt out of the way, but with less grace and agility than they had previously been displaying. Whatever Mischief had done had worked in their favour.

Before the Zorua could land, Mischief sent an energy ball at it, knocking them off their feet. They scrambled back up quickly to dodge another jolt off Spark and snarled, turning their attention entirely onto Mischief.

"Why, aren't you a nuisance!"

The Zorua's voice, as muffled as it was around that horn, was distinctly high, taking Cleo by surprise. She hadn't come across many female Pokemon from Hydreigon's army. His soldiers and assassins were usually male.

The Zorua narrowed her blue eyes and she prepared herself to pounce. Mischief moved away just in time, directing that dazzling purple light at the Zorua. She didn't manage to dodge in time, the attack connecting with her rear legs and tail. She let out a yell and dropped the horn, then went sprawling to the ground.

Spark took this opportunity to launch a well timed thunder wave, crippling the Zorua where she lay.

Cleo adjusted her bag and took a few steps towards the fallen Pokemon.

"Right. Maybe you can answer some questions?"

The Zorua chuckled.

Wait no... it was Mischief.

Cleo paused and looked back at him. Her eyes widened and she darted out of the way of a series of consecutive energy balls. The Zorua's body was launched into the air, followed by Mischief who connected with it in a full body tackle, ramming the Zorua back into the ground. He grabbed her ruff in one paw and raised the other, a look of pure mania on his face.

"Mischief, stop!" Cleo wailed, racing towards him.

"Cleo no!" Spark shot past her, hitting Mischief full on, electricity sparking in all directions.

The Whimsicott's body shuddered a couple of times, all fury leaving his eyes as they focused on the trees. He said nothing. His body went limp.

Cleo looked away from the two Pokemon and ran a paw over her face. She feared the worst, not wanting to look.

"Spark, are they both alive?"  
"Yup." Spark hopped onto the Zorua's chest. "Just paralysed."

Cleo let out a sigh of relief and joined the Dedenne's side. She looked down at the unconscious Zorua. She couldn't exactly get questions out of her while she was unconscious, and she didn't really want to wait around in the forest for her to wake up perchance she didn't come alone. She grit her teeth and pulled the device Tinker had given her out of her bag. She hadn't wanted to use this so soon.

She pressed the button and spoke into it. "Tinker?"

A buzz came out of the speaker, followed by, "Cleo? Is that you?"

"Yes. We've ran into a bit of trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

"We were attacked by a Zorua. I wanted to ask her for information once we took her down, but Mischief went mad and knocked her out."

"Are you okay?"

"Spark and I are fine, but the Zorua and Mischief are both unconscious. I don't want to lose an opportunity like this, but I can't leave the Zorua here and I think Mischief might need treatment."

"He'll wake up in due time, I imagine he's exhausted himself like before." Tinker paused. "But you can't bring the Zorua back here."

"No... I don't really want to. But it's a long journey to the next Outcast town and I really want to ask her about that Noivern. Do you know anywhere nearby that's enclosed?"  
A long 'hmm' came out of the speaker, muffled by a buzz. "We do have some cells. Bring her to them."

"Cells?" Cleo was aghast. New City had its own cells? "Where?"

"It's a hidden place separate from here. I've never told you about it because I've never had to. It's a secure location where we keep the worst of the Pokemon we catch for information purposes. You can get there if you search for a large tree in the forest. It's west of where the Noivern was defeated. Keep going and you'll see it."

"A large tree," Cleo spat. "Is that really a safe spot, Tinker? I assume we also get inside the usual way?"

"It's perfectly safe, I can assure you. And yes, you get in the same old traditional way."

Cleo closed her eyes. With the badge. Like any other entrance to New City. Secure location... she stuffed the device back into her bag and looked down at the two fallen Pokemon.

The first challenge she had to face was how to transport the both of them. Her psychic powers wouldn't work on the Zorua.

She sighed.

This wasn't going to be easy.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	12. Fire and Poison

**A/N - Chapter 12 here! I hope you enjoy it! Also - I forgot to say in the last update - thanks for all new reviews, follows and faves! =D Please keep on reading and let me know what you think! It's encouraging to know people are reading and enjoying this story! =)**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

12 – Fire and Poison

Cleo trudged through the undergrowth carrying the Zorua over her shoulders, clasping on to her paws to hold her in place. She wasn't light, despite her slight build, and she was a little taller than Cleo. Mischief bobbed along in front of her, the Zorua's bag hanging around his neck. Using her powers to carry him wasn't exactly an effortless task and was made all the more so having to physically carry another Pokemon along with them.

Spark plodded silently at her side, taking the task of being Cleo's ears since hers were currently humming with energy. This normally didn't bother her, but being unable to listen for faint sounds in the distance left her at a disadvantage. It was times like this she really valued the Dedenne's impeccable hearing.

They'd long since returned to where the Noivern had fallen, turning west and heading deep into the forest. Somewhere around here, there should be a large tree... but Tinker hadn't said how far west they needed to go.

She looked around. No large tree. Just your everyday, standard trees dotted here and there with large, thorny bushes and masses of stinging nettles.

They pushed through the thick undergrowth, dry twigs and thick plant stems crunching beneath their feet. Barely any light came through the canopy, giving them a false sense of time. Cleo had no idea how long they'd been in the forest, but she didn't think it had been that long. However, it could easily be evening by now...

A low growl reached her ears and she lost her focus, almost dropping Mischief into the thorn bushes.

"Cleo?" Spark spoke tentatively.

The growl had come from the Zorua. She couldn't see her clearly this close up, but she caught a faint glint of sharp canines as she struggled to raise her head.

Great... she'd regained consciousness. A bite at this close range would be wildly unwelcome, but the Zorua was still paralysed. Cleo could feel her trying to flex her claws in an attempt to deal enough damage while breaking free.

There was a very thin chance of her posing much of a threat in this condition, but it was still too much of a risk. They had no means to render her unconscious again either, at least not in a gentle fashion, and if she took any more damage it could prove fatal.

Cleo tightened her grip on the Zorua's paws and picked up pace.

"Cleo, what are you doing?" Spark hissed.

"I'm asking myself the same question."

"Put her down! We can send for help and-"

The foliage thinned and Cleo stepped out unable to stop efficiently under the momentum. The sight before her filled her with dread.

Fire... fire consumed the forest. But that wasn't all.

A Houndoom stood before a large tree, his head thrown back in a blood curdling howl. A pack of Houndoor flocked around him, spewing flames from their mouths as they torched everything their eyes fell on.

The Zorua's body stiffened and her breath came out in a low whine.

Cleo dropped her to the floor and bolted, racing through the foliage, following after Spark's retreating form.

The Zorua's screams filled the air, interspersed with cries of "No!"

Cleo ran until her lungs were fit to burst. It wasn't until they finally came to a stop that Cleo realised she'd made a fatal error.

She'd dropped Mischief in all the chaos.

...

The Grovyle milled around office, filing various papers in a methodical fashion, almost as though she obsessed over it. She muttered to herself under her breath, but occasionally the odd word would come out too loudly which she seemed oblivious too.

The words 'wrong' and 'nonsense' were used frequently as she carefully placed boxes back on the shelves and crossed the room, glancing from the papers in her claws to the files that filled the expanse of the walls.

A soft jingle resounded from the dark corner of the room, freezing the Grovyle mid mutter. She turned her head warily, documents still clasped tightly between her claws. The fear in her eyes indicated she hoped desperately she'd imagined that sound.

Enigma chuckled and stepped out of the shadows, slowly approaching the Grovyle. He looked her up and down with his crimson eyes and grinned widely.

The Grovyle hugged the papers to her chest and stuttered. "What... are you doing here?"

"Hmm, why, exactly." Enigma gazed up to the ceiling in thought. "I'm trying to find out which Heretics were visited by a Noivern." He fixed his red eyes back on the Grovyle and moved towards her slowly. "Were you visited by a Noivern?"

"A Noivern?" The Grovyle glanced from one side of the room to the next. "No, we've not been visited by a Noivern."

"I'll narrow it down for you. It was Boomer. Does that ring any bells?" Enigma took a sharp sideways step, letting out a loud jingle that seemed to chill the Grovyle to the core. He chuckled at the Pokemon's reaction and flopped down into the nearest chair.

The Grovyle shook her head wildly. "No. No, we've not had any visits from any dragons. You have the wrong base, Enigma."

Enigma sighed. "Really? Pity." He stood and took the long leaf on her head in his paw, letting it slide through his claws as he walked back to the door. "I was hoping to play with you a little while longer."

A loud gulp came from the Grovyle. Enigma looked back at her.

"You don't happen to have any idea what message was given to him then?" He stared at the Grovyle for a moment and gave her a sly smile. She'd turned from a deep green to a sickly lime. "Anything that might bode some relevance for Hydreigon? A message that he'd be instructed to return with some haste?"

The Grovyle blinked a few times. "A message?" She thought for a moment, diverting her eyes from the Banette. "If he was given a message for Lord Hydreigon then why are you trying to find it out?"  
"Because it didn't reach him."

The Grovyle jerked her head to look up at him.

"There were some... complications," Enigma told her. "So the message didn't reach him. If you know what it was, then it's in your best interest to tell me." He examined his claws feigning a somewhat bored expression.

It had the desired effect. The Grovyle started to shake from head to foot, the leaves on her arms rustling.

"I can assure you, Enigma, I have no idea."

"It's believed to be in this vicinity. He was found in this forest. Any other bases around here I should know of?"

"No, just a lab."

Enigma looked up at her. "A lab you say?"

The Grovyle shifted uneasily.

"I'll visit this lab. But if I find out you've hidden any information from me..." he looked back down at his claws and grinned widely. "I'll be back to deal with you."

The Grovyle whimpered and backed into the desk.

Enigma turned with a flourish and left the room, the light jingle from his bell fading into the distance, leaving the Grovyle to sink to the floor with a low groan.

A lab... Enigma chuckled. This mission had become quite intriguing.

...

Cleo sat barely breathing, watching the thick patch of brambles and nettles, waiting for the Houndoom to burst through.

It never came.

She didn't know how long she'd been sat there, but she couldn't run and leave Mischief. Maybe they'd found him, maybe they had him...

An idea hit her, and she pulled the communication device from her bag and pressed the button. Her voice came out as a panicked, incomprehensible whisper.

"Cleo?" Tinker's voice came out. "Are you okay? I can't understand you, calm down."

Cleo took a deep, steadying breath and tried again.

"There's a Houndoom outside the tree," she whispered. "And an army of Houndour. I lost Mischief when I panicked."

"You lost Mischief?" Tinker sounded surprised. "How did you accomplish that?"

"I dropped him, he passed out remember? Can we please focus on the Houndoom problem?"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," Tinker told her. "It's just an illusion."

"An illusion?!" Cleo hissed.

"Yes. It's an illusion. I told you that entrance is secure. It's a little trick Grey set up. Any Pokemon approaching that tree will see what they are most afraid of. It will send them running. As you can see, it works quite well."

Cleo struggled to find words. An illusion? He had to be joking.

"It's a shame Mischief is unconscious," Tinker said with a sigh. "Since he has no memories, it would be interesting to know what he sees. It might have given us some insight."

"You couldn't have told us about this before?!" Cleo stood, clasping the device in her paw, giving it a little shake. "I've been sat here panicking for... I don't know how long!"  
"And the Zorua?"

Cleo blinked. "The Zorua? Well... I dropped her."

"I think you should head back to the tree. I'll meet you outside it."

Cleo stuffed the device back into her bag without a response. Sometimes that Riolu really riled her up. She looked down at Spark, who mirrored her look of disapproval.

"Illusion?" The Dedenne huffed. "Is he kidding?"

Cleo shook her head and trotted through the thick foliage. Spark hopped up onto her shoulder and continued her rant.

"I mean sure it seems to work, but he could have told us." She waved her tiny fist. "We've lost valuable time because of this!"

Cleo exploded through the leaves and almost tripped over Mischief in the process. The illusion of fire and Houndour spread out around them, the large Houndoom standing firm before the tree. Cleo gasped, but forced herself to ignore it, instead focusing on gathering her fallen friend. The Whimsicott was still out cold. The Zorua lay sprawled beside him, her breaths coming in shallow bursts.

Spark looked down at her. "Hmm. She must have fainted."

Cleo tutted and picked the Zorua up over her back. "I wonder what she saw?"

"Something awful if she passed out like that." Spark hopped off her shoulder and faced the tree, flinching at the illusion.

"You see the same thing?" Cleo asked her.

"Of course I do." She closed her eyes and ran through it towards the tree. "Just do what I'm doing. Don't look, just run."

It was easier said than done. Even though she now knew it was nought more than an illusion, it still looked so realistic. She expected the Houndoom to lunge at her at any moment. She could feel the heat from the flames, smell the smoke, but it was all just an illusion created by her mind. An intricate trick created by a powerful psychic Pokemon, one of few who could use his powers efficiently to effect the minds of dark Pokemon.

Something Cleo could only dream of being able to do.

She braced herself, lifted Mischief with her powers and made for the tree.

Something lunged at her and she let out a yell, dropping Mischief and the Zorua to the floor once more.

"Cleo! It's me!" Tinker stood before her, looking back at the tree. "Wow, you sometimes forget it's not real don't you?"

Cleo grit her teeth and growled at him. "Well, tell me. What do_ you _see?"

Tinker stooped to pick up the Zorua and carried her with alarming ease towards the large hole in the trunk.

"Let's hurry, Cleo. She might wake up soon."

Cleo shook her head and lifted Mischief once more, following after the Riolu. They were through the illusion within seconds. Cleo opened the door with her badge and they flowed inside, letting it slide shut behind them. A dark staircase lay before them, leading down into the ground. It smelled damp and mildewy, not fresh and earthy like New City. Faint candlelight led their way down to the bottom. The steps were slippery, covered with a faint layer of moisture. Cleo had to watch her footing, careful not to slip and drop Mischief down a large flight of stairs. She doubted he'd appreciate that. He probably wouldn't appreciate the fact she'd dropped him twice already.

The stairs ended in a large room. Heavy doors stood on either side of them. Muffled, angry voices came from the other side and Cleo couldn't help but stare at them.

"Cells," Tinker told her. "The Pokemon held in there are currently being interrogated by some of the Guild's best soldiers."

"And where are we going?" Cleo asked.

"To an empty cell." He stopped by a door and fumbled with the lock, struggling to select the right key while also juggling the Zorua.

"Need a paw with that?" Spark asked from his feet.

"I'm not sure you could reach," he answered.

"Oi!" The Dedenne's whiskers sparked violently. "Don't call me short!"

"I didn't." Tinker showed no sign of fear. Something Cleo thought was foolish.

She decided to step in. "Enough. You can zap him later, Spark. Right now, we need to get her behind bars." She nodded at the Zorua and took the keys off Tinker.

She swiftly unlocked the door and stood aside for Tinker to head in first. She followed after him. He didn't fool around. The Zorua was quickly placed in a cell on the far left of the room. The iron bars were thick and heavy and rose from the floor to the ceiling. Tinker crouched down beside her and placed a metal collar around her neck which snapped in place with a loud _chink!_

"What's that for?" Cleo asked.

"Come here." Tinker waved a paw at her without looking back.

Cleo lowered Mischief to the floor and approached him.

In one fluid motion, the Riolu twisted and swiped at Cleo's tail. She let out a yell and snatched it in both paws, checking it for any sign of injury. She bared her teeth and snarled at him.

"What was that for?!"

"I needed one of your hairs," he said bluntly. He was still fumbling with the collar.

"What for?!"

"Your own protection." He stood and moved away from the Zorua, and left the cell.

Cleo slipped out after him, mumbling under her breath.

"Are you going to explain to me what that was?" Cleo asked him.

"Later. Right now, I want to see what they have in their bag." He removed the bag from Mischief.

"What about him?" Cleo nodded to the Whimsicott.

"We have a nurse on site, I've asked her to come and collect him. She should be here soon." Tinker placed the bag on a small table and opened it. The first thing he removed was the large purple horn. "A Nidoking horn?"

"Yes. She attacked us with that," Cleo explained. "I made sure to pick it up just in case."

"I hope you used the handle."

"I'm not stupid, Tinker."

He shrugged. "Well, if you were poisoned by this you'd be in trouble."

Spark hopped onto the table and peered at it. "Can't we just use Pecha berries?"

"No." Tinker placed the horn back in the bag. He'd found a protective slot that it fit in perfectly. "Nidoking poison is incredibly potent. It can't be healed with mere Pecha berries. It needs to be mixed with a specific anti-venom."

Cleo watched Tinker rummage through the rest of the bag. "You mean like an opposite?"

"Yes. Exactly. And what is the opposite to a Nidoking?"

"A Nidoqueen," Spark answered.

"Precisely." Tinker gave her a smile. "And both of those are surprisingly rare. Hydreigon feared the poison type Pokemon in case they rebelled, specifically the Nidoran line. So he had them eradicated. For this Pokemon to carry a Nidoking horn, and a full one at that, is unusual in itself since they are incredibly hard to come by. As is the anti-venom."

"Does she have the antidote in there?" Cleo asked.

"She wouldn't be a very good assassin if she didn't, Cleo. What if she accidentally poisoned herself?"

Spark snorted. "She wouldn't be a very good assassin if she couldn't handle her own weapons."

"Exactly."

The voice had come from the cell. They looked round slowly. The Zorua stared back at them, sprawled out on the floor in the same position Tinker had left her in.

"Oh, you're awake." Tinker turned back to her bag. "That's fortunate. We have some questions for you."

She chuckled, dragging herself onto her stomach and pushing herself up into a sitting position. "Who said I'll answer them?"

"I think you'll answer them," Tinker told her. "Because you're not leaving until you do."

The Zorua just smirked, and lifted a front paw to examine it. "Looks like the little squirt's paralysis attack is wearing off." She cocked her head on one side and grinned at them. "I'll be out of here soon, you'll see."

"Squirt?!" Spark bristled. "I have every right mind to shock you again!"

"Don't." Tinker placed a paw on her head. "It's not necessary. The collar on her neck represses all her special attacks, and the bars on that cell are designed to restrain a dragon-danced Salamence."

The Zorua chuckled. "Really?" She opened her mouth wide, then a look of disbelief crossed her face and it snapped shut with alarm.

Tinker raised an eyebrow at her. "Trying a dark pulse? Try all you want, but it's pointless." He looked back to her bag. "Cleo, you do know who she is, correct?"  
Cleo glanced at the oddly coloured Zorua. "Yes. I was too surprised at first, but I know who she is."

"Harlequin," Tinker told her. "One of Hydreigon's aces."

"Yes I know."

Tinker sighed and looked at the door. "Where is that nurse? Anyway," he looked back into the bag. "Harlequin, am I right in assuming one of these bottles is the Nidoking antidote?"

Harlequin chuckled. "I don't carry an antidote."  
Tinker looked at her. "That's foolish."

"No it's not. Not for a trained assassin. I mean, what kind of assassin would I be if I poisoned myself?" She paused and narrowed her eyes. "I tell you what kind. A bad one. And if you know my reputation... you should know I'm an elite."

Tinker made a thoughtful noise and pulled something out of the bag. It was a round ball held inside a ring of copper hanging from a thick piece of black thong.

Harlequin bristled, her eyes widening. "Put that back!"

"What is this?" Tinker let it dangle down from his paw. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Put it back!" The Zorua launched herself into the bars with what strength she had left, snapping and snarling, her eyes fierce.

Cleo watched her warily, worried she might slip between the bars. But it was impossible. There was no way for her to break free.

"Have you seen one of these before?" Tinker asked her, handing her the strange orb.

She took it. It wasn't heavy, and was clear in colour with a stripe of black and white coiling up inside the centre. She shook her head.

"Never. It's probably just a fancy stone she's found."  
Harlequin's cries echoed off the walls, the collar she wore clanging against the bars of the cell. They had to raise their voices to be heard above the din.

"Hang on to it, Cleo," Tinker told her. "I suspect it's significant considering her reaction."

"No! Put it back! Give it back!"  
Cleo slipped it into her bag, keeping one eye on the wild Zorua.

The door opened and an Audino stepped inside. She looked at the cell, her eyes wide.

"My, what a racket!" She exclaimed. "Is he the one you want me to treat?" She pointed at the Zorua.

"No, no." Tinker waved a paw to the sprawled out Whimsicott. "It's him. He's passed out with exhaustion."

The Audino knelt at his side. "He seems to be waking up."

Cleo looked down at Mischief. His eyes were open and he had a paw on his head. She hadn't heard him stirring thanks to the Zorua's rampage.

"Why does my head hurt?" He asked.

Spark grinned down at him. "'Cos Cleo dropped you!"  
He fixed his orange eyes on Cleo. "What? Why?"  
The Audino helped him to his feet. "Come with me. I'll get you some Oran Juice." She led him from the cell.

"Where am I?" He asked. The door closed behind him and their voices were drowned out by Harlequin's frantic cries.

"Cleo." Tinker's voice drew the Meowstic's attention. "Let's continue this conversation in the staff room. No one will be in there right now, so we can cover what to do."

"But we've not asked her-"

Tinker waved a paw. "Later. She's not going to tell us anything in this state, is she?"

Harlequin's cries had come to a stop. Cleo followed Tinker's gaze to the cell. She lay with one paw sticking out of the bars. All energy seemed to have left her body and she panted heavily, fixing them with an angry, sapphire stare. Cleo thought she could see tear streaks across her face, either anger or sadness she couldn't tell.

Tinker ushered Cleo from the room. Spark hopped onto her shoulder and they left, locking the door behind them.

"What is there to discuss?" Cleo asked as they entered the staff room, situated conveniently at the back of the small dungeon. "Do you think she poisoned the river?"

The staff room didn't smell as damp as the rest of the place, probably due to the ventilation in the ceiling. If Cleo were to guess, they were just like the ones in New City and ended inside trees, hidden from view of any passing Pokemon who would dismiss them as former habitats for Pidgey, Emolga and other tree dwelling Pokemon.

"I have a request of you, Cleo."

She hadn't expected that to be her answer. No yes or no, a complete oversight of her question. She picked up a mug of hot berry juice and sipped it slowly, waiting for him to elaborate.

"I want you to take Harlequin with you."

Cleo nearly choked on her drink. "What?"

Spark echoed her response, with an added, "Are you crazy?!"

"Think about it," Tinker told them, "When will we ever have an opportunity like this again?"

"What opportunity?" Cleo stared at him. "An opportunity to have one of Hydreigon's most dangerous assassins behind bars? She should remain there, I shouldn't have to lug her around after me, Tinker. It's dangerous, for one thing!"

"Yeh, she'll probably kill us!" Spark paused and thought briefly, then added, "She'll definitely kill us!"

"That is why I took your hair, Cleo." Tinker reached into his bag and handed her a metal band. "Wear this around your wrist. Unlike her collar, _you _can remove this at any time. Only you, as it's registered with your DNA. With this, she can't come near you. She'll be locked in a two foot radius, unable to physically touch you and unable to move away. She'll have no choice but to go with you."

"Yes, and attract her friends, who unlike her will not be locked in a two foot radius!" Cleo crossed her paws. "I refuse."

Tinker shrugged. "Well, after finding Mischief I just thought it might be about time to prepare to head into the Shadow Lands and take out Hydreigon."

"It's too soon, Tinker! Besides, Mischief knows nothing about himself. Throwing him into the Shadow Lands would be cruelty!"

"I said 'prepare'. And I never said you would go alone." Tinker smiled at her. "My request is for you to find more of this unique, new type of Pokemon."

"And I need to take Harlequin... why?"

"A bargaining tool. She's highly valued by Hydreigon and if she was targeting Mischief directly, then news has got back to Hydreigon about the Noivern that was killed. This means that it was obviously Boomer, one of Hydreigon's other aces." He paused. "Since I didn't see the body, I wasn't sure. But if Mischief killed Boomer then this is big, Cleo. Mischief has a price on his head, and since you two were with him, that puts a price on your heads also."

Cleo felt her blood turn cold. "If he's sending out his aces..."

"Yes. That will mean Enigma will be following you, not to mention Ripwing, and Wailwolf and the Wildfires."

Cleo dropped her drink, sending it sloshing over the floor. Spark was visibly shaking, so much so she'd had to place her glass back on the table.

"Wailwolf..." Cleo glanced at the door. Images of a flaming forest and hundreds of howling black shadows ran through her mind. She began to feel faint.

"Cleo?"

Tinker's voice was echoey. He rose from his chair and blurred into the background. The last thing Cleo remembered seeing was the room on its side.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	13. A New Mission

**A/N - Here's chapter 13! I hope you enjoy! **

**Who else is psyched for the new Mystery Dungeon game?! =D**

**Also - please review and let me know if two chapters a week is manageable or if you'd prefer just one a week? I'm happy to keep uploading two but I would like to know preferences.**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

13 – A New Mission

Night had fallen, casting the outskirts of the Moorland's Forest in shadows. Enigma preferred it this way. It meant he could travel unseen, a much better strategy for sneaking up on unsuspecting targets.

A shape came into view in the distance, a squat building with a dull light flickering in one of the windows. He span and warped closer to it, landing perched in the branches of a sturdy tree. Adorned over the door of the building was the crescent moon symbol the Heretics had adopted.

Enigma grinned widely. The Heretic lab. Finally.

He leapt into the air and twisted, vanishing and reappearing on the doorstep. It was common courtesy to knock, and Enigma considered it before deciding he'd much rather just slip through the door to the other side.

The Plusle and Minun standing guard on the other side leapt out of their skins with a squeal, their large eyes wide with fear. Enigma smirked at them and leant back against the wall with his arms crossed across his chest.

"So... this is a Heretic lab?" He looked up and down the hall with mock curiosity. "It doesn't look like much. Who's in charge here?"

"That would be Rio, sir," the Plusle spoke up. "I can go and get him-"

Enigma waved a paw at him. "That won't be necessary. I'll find him." He turned away from them.

"But he's in the laboratory," the Plusle explained. "It's authorised entry only."

Enigma glanced back at them. "Oh... I'm sure he wouldn't object to seeing me."

With that, he marched down the corridor, his feet resounding off the immaculate white tiles. With every step, his bell jingled, echoing off the empty walls. Curious eyes peered at him from one of the rooms as he passed by. The corridor wound sharply to the right and at the end was a large door with a large sign that read 'Authorised Pokemon Only'.

He let out a small laugh and slipped through the closed door, materialising on the other side with a light chime.

A male Meowstic leant over a desk, and his body froze as his ears twitched at the soft sound.

Enigma leant against the door and inclined his head on one side. "I trust I'm addressing Rio?"

The Meowstic looked back over his shoulder, meeting the Banette's crimson eyes. He wore a white medical mask over the lower half of his face. If he was afraid, he didn't show it.

"You shouldn't be in here. It's dangerous."

Enigma cast his eyes over the room, taking in the various bottles that adorned the shelves and the vast amount of paperwork filed away in neat little boxes. He wondered if the reason the Meowstic wore a mask was less for his own safety and more to block out the sharp, clinical smell that filled the room.

"Then we can keep this short," the Banette told him. He fixed the Meowstic with a half smile. "I do get_ incredibly_ bored when I'm forced to have long conversations."

Rio's mask of confidence seemed to fall at that remark. He turned back to his desk and rinsed his paws in a bowl of water, then turned back to Enigma and lowered the white mask around his neck.

"I guess you're here for more information?" He asked.

Enigma clicked his tongue. "So you _are _the ones who sent Boomer with a message?"

"Yes." Rio paused. "If Lord Hydreigon sent you back here, was it not enough information?"

"You could say that." The Banette smirked. "It never reached him."

The Meowstic looked worried, his eyes glancing from one side of the room to the next. After a brief moment he looked back at Enigma.

"How...?"

"He was killed," Enigma said flatly. "By a Whimsicott, I believe." He shook his head. "Who would have guessed it?"  
"A Whimsicott?" Rio nibbled on his claw.

Enigma waited in the silence, staring at the Meowstic as he appeared to drift off into his own little world. Enigma had a lot of patience, but it was growing thin watching Rio stand there, thoughtfully nibbling his claw. He ran a paw over his face and chuckled.

"Starting to get a little peckish."

Rio froze and swiftly removed his paw from his mouth.

"I'm sorry, Enigma, I was just thinking."

Enigma fixed him with a glare. "Think on your own time. I'm trying to gather important information here."

"Yes certainly. It's just... the Whimsicott... I..." Rio paused and glanced away from Enigma. "Yes, well. The information I gave Boomer, it took a while to explain. Have you got a while?"

"No."

"Ah." Rio's eyes widened and he looked over to a closed door on the left wall. "Well, I can show you. It's something we've discovered, Enigma. Evolution is happening."

"Evolution?" Enigma chuckled and shook his head. "Do you have berries for brains? Pokemon evolve. I used to be a Shuppet once. Did you hatch as a Meowstic?"

"Not that kind!" Rio narrowed his eyes, then took a step back at the look on Enigma's face. Wise choice. Getting short tempered with an assassin wasn't the best idea.

Rio shook his head and mumbled an apology, looking back at the door. "The evolution I'm talking about is not the kind from Espurr to Meowstic, or Onix to Steelix. This is more complex. This is evolution on a different scale. A slower one. A natural one designed for survival." He shot Enigma a sideways glance. "It's a new type."

Enigma felt a jolt of surprise. A new type? This was going to be more interesting than he thought. He grinned and crossed his arms.

"Go on."

"We've not named it yet," Rio told him. "It's just codenamed Type 18. It cropped up in our labs three seasons ago, one of our... participants... happened to have a child that carried this type. An Azurill."

Enigma raised an eyebrow. "And how did you discover it?"

"Quite by accident." Rio scratched his head. "As you know there are outlaws from the Shadow Lands. A couple of them have ended up in our labs and we have two Axew here. The Azurill was at the age where he would make quite a nuisance of himself and the Axew duo were unimpressed. One of them fired a Dragon Rage at him, but the move didn't even phase him. Washed over him like water off a Ducklett's back."

Enigma's crimson eyes widened. "So he resisted a dragon attack?"

"He didn't resist it. He was immune to it."

Enigma didn't know what to say. This was big news. He wasn't even entirely sure he believed it.

"This is why we requested Boomer," Rio explained. "So he could see it for himself."

Enigma stared at him. Of course. You could only really believe something like this if you saw it with your own eyes. There was every possibility Hydreigon wouldn't believe it, so having a dragon Pokemon see it for themselves would solidify the evidence significantly.

Boomer wouldn't have outright lied to Hydreigon. He would have had to believe him.

"We ran some tests when Boomer was here," Rio went on. "He brought Murkrow with him, as requested. So using those Murkrow we tested how the type fared against dark, since we don't have any dark Pokemon in our laboratories." Rio paused, reading Enigma's expression. Satisfied that the Banette was clearly interested, he went on. "It turns out that Type 18 is resistant to dark types. Not immune, but resistant."

"Hmm." Enigma inclined his head on one side. "Does this mysterious new type possess any attacks?"

"Unfortunately the Azurill didn't know any attacks." Rio began to appear on edge, fidgeting his paws together as he refused to look the Banette in the eye. "You see, several years ago these strange attacks started cropping up. New ones. We didn't know what they were, we assumed they were psychic since they were so effective against our fighting participants."

Enigma narrowed his eyes.

"You can't fault us on that!" Rio raised his paws. "We weren't expecting a new Pokemon type to appear out of the blue like that."

Enigma shrugged. "I suppose."

"When we explained this to Boomer, he wanted to see if these attacks were linked to this new type. Fortunately some of our exp – I mean participants – still have these attacks, so we ran some in depth tests on them. After seeing these rays of purple light defeat the Axew with one deft hit, he decided to face against them himself, accusing the Axew of being mere weaklings. He took one of the attacks and was aghast."

"And what of the Murkrow?"

"Wiped out in one hit."

Enigma scratched his head and sighed. This was big news. If Hydreigon heard of this, he'd probably cause an uproar. Or an all out war.

A war that would wipe out all types except dragon and dark Pokemon.

Enigma chuckled. And where would that leave him?

"Has something amused you?" Rio asked.

Enigma fixed his eyes on the Meowstic and grinned. "Have you thought of the repercussions of telling this news to a powerful Pokemon that is both dark and dragon type?"

"I thought it would leave us in his favour, actually."

Enigma chuckled again and shook his head. "Oh you poor, pathetic creature."

Rio stared at him blankly, still fidgeting his paws together.

Enigma gazed thoughtfully at the ceiling. "Picture this. Boomer was slaughtered while delivering this message to Hydreigon by a Whimsicott. You know, the little grass pompom that likes to pull pranks? Not much of a threat, but he faced off against a Noivern, a feared dragon that is a nightmare to battle in the dark and no easy feat to face in the day either. He was taken down and mutilated. Not just knocked unconscious, we're talking being reduced to a bloody pulp here. This Whimsicott could only have done this to a Noivern if he was exceptionally powerful. A Whimsicott is not that big a threat to a dragon, not a pure grass type. So, explain to me how this little puny creature could take down a powerful Noivern, and not just any, but Hydreigon's number one ace?" He turned his attention back to the Meowstic.

Rio stuttered for a moment and glanced at the floor. "I suppose," he finally said, slowly, "that this Whimsicott must have carried this new type."

"Exactly. And not just carried it, but used its attacks." Enigma gave him a wicked grin. "So knowing that, Hydreigon is not going to be impressed to learn of this new 'Type 18' as you so proudly put it. This type has not just manifested in your labs, little Meowstic, no. This type is running wild out there." He gestured to the door. "It's out there, it's real, and it's posing a threat. Now... how do you think Hydreigon is going to react to this news?"

Rio's face fell and he placed his paws on the desk to steady himself. "He's... going to start a war..."

Enigma nodded. "He's going to start a war."

"But... we're on his side," Rio told him. "We'll be okay, right?"

"What? A laboratory that's been nurturing this type for goodness knows how long?" Enigma chuckled and gave the Meowstic a terrifying glare. "I wouldn't count your blessings."

Enigma turned to the door and paused with his paw above the handle, looking back at the shaking Meowstic.

"I'm going to do some more sniffing around to see how big a threat this new type really is before I report back to my boss. Do you want to make yourself useful?"

Rio nodded slowly. "Yes. Yes, anything."

"Okay. If you want to save your hide, then prove your loyalty. I want you to find this Whimsicott, and the female Meowstic and Dedenne he's travelling with, and hold them here. I'll take them back to Hydreigon myself, and put in a good word for you."

Rio's eyes widened. "You'd do that?"

Enigma grinned. "If you play your cards right."

With that, he swung the door open and strolled out of the lab. He glanced back at the Meowstic and gave him an unnerving grin.

"Don't let me down, Rio."

He shut the door behind him and marched down the hallway, chuckling to himself as he left the laboratory.

...

When Cleo awoke the next morning, her fur was oddly damp and she felt cold. She opened her eyes and found herself on a medical bench in a quiet room, identical benches on either side free from any patients. The nurse was nowhere to be seen.

With a groan, Cleo flipped herself off the bench and strolled towards the door. Her head felt heavy and she couldn't shake the grogginess. Maybe some breakfast would help? She covered her mouth with a paw. Scratch that, she felt sick.

She opened the door and was greeted by that musty, damp smell. Of course, she was still in the cells. It was coming back to her now.

Tinker was explaining their situation to her and Spark... then everything went hazy.

Where was he? Were they alone? Surely they wouldn't have left her alone in the cells?

She opened the door to the staff room. Sure enough, Tinker was sat at a table talking to Spark and two guards – a Meinfoo and Combusken – over a large tray of berries and meats.

"Ah Cleo!" Tinker beamed. "You're up!" His face fell. "My, you look terrible."

Cleo's shoulders slumped. "Thanks."

"Are you sick?" The Meinfoo asked. He looked at Tinker. "You shouldn't keep someone here when they're sick. The air's not good for them."

Tinker stood up and placed his glass on the table. "She's not sick, she fainted. She was resting." He looked at Cleo. "How are you? Rose told me you were having feverish nightmares."

Cleo shrugged. "Well, that explains the damp fur."

"Certainly. You're probably dehydrated. Have some water." He poured her a glass.

Cleo thanked him and took the glass, sipping it gratefully. She was happy to find that it seemed to relieve her nausea.

Spark handed her an Oran berry which Cleo nibbled at cautiously while she sat next to Tinker.

"Have you managed to get any information out of Harlequin?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No. We left him be overnight. He seemed to tire himself with that hysteria."

Cleo took a more confident bite of her berry. "Should we go and see him... her?"

"If you want to get things moving sooner rather than later?"

Cleo crinkled her nose and stared into her glass. She just wanted to get out of these stagnant cells, but dragging a Zorua around wasn't a welcome situation.

Then something sparked in her mind and she looked at Tinker. "How's Mischief? He wasn't in the medical room."

"Oh! The Whimsicott!" Tinker flashed her a smile. "He's helping Rose. He was adamant he was going to return the favour of her looking after him. I think he's rather taken with her to be honest."

The two guards chuckled.

Tinker seemed too elated about that. Was he trying to test her reaction? She was too tired to be bothered with this nonsense. She pushed her chair back and stood up.

"I'm going to question Harlequin."

Tinker raised an eyebrow. "Alone?"

"You can come with me if you want? You're the one who wants me to lug her around."

The two guards let out gasps and the Combusken dropped his glass.

Tinker let out a hiss and waved a frantic paw at Cleo. He turned to the guards and smiled.

"I'm sorry," he told them. "This is a confidential Elite investigation, so if you could keep this quiet it would be appreciated?"

The two guards nodded sullenly.

Tinker made for the door with Cleo and Spark in tow.

"You are aware," the Combusken said, "that Pokemon will find out about this anyway?"

"Yes." Tinker glanced back at him. "But if this gets out in less than two full days I will know to trace it back to you, and you will lose your rank."

The Combusken licked his beak. "I won't say a word."  
The Meinfoo shook his head sharply.

Tinker smiled. "Good. I'll see you later."

The door closed behind them and Tinker rummaged through his bag for the keys to Harlequin's cell. He paused and nudged the door. It was open. He let out a sigh of relief when he spotted Rose and Mischief crouching by the Zorua's cell.

"What are you doing?" Tinker asked them.

Rose looked up at him. "He's not touched the mixed berries I made him."

Cleo followed Tinker's gaze into the cell. Harlequin was crouching against the farthest wall, fixing Rose with a vicious glare.

Tinker turned his gaze to the Audino. "If he's not going to eat it then leave him."

"You know I can't do that," she said. "The paralysis isn't going to fully wear off if he doesn't take something to relieve it."

"That's his choice."

Rose stood up and dusted herself down. "You need to have a little more sympathy, Tinker."

"What? Towards someone who is hired to assassinate my friends?" He crossed his arms.

"He might be an assassin, but he's still a Pokemon." She turned to leave the cell and glanced back at the Riolu. "Given the chance, anyone can change. But for some reason you can't see that."

She closed the door before Tinker could respond.

"Wow," said Spark. "So is she...?"

"A peace maker?" Mischief beamed at her. "Yup!"

Tinker sighed and shook his head, turning back to the cell. "It's peace _enthusiast_, Mischief. No one's managed to make peace with any of Hydreigon's warped minds yet."

Spark looked up at him. "Yet?"

Tinker waved a paw at her and bared his canines. "That Audino can get under your skin, okay? Drop it!"

Spark's mouth snapped shut and she took a step back.

Tinker shook his head again and turned back to the cell.

"Harlequin! Are you ready to answer some questions?"

The Zorua stared back at him with livid sapphire eyes. Not a word came from her, and Cleo wondered what was worse. Her silence, or the risk of another rampage.

Getting information out of dark Pokemon had never been an easy task, but once behind bars with their comforts taken away they were usually more willing to speak. Yet Harlequin was silent. No bargaining for her freedom, no bargaining to get her belongings back...

Cleo jumped at the memory and stuffed her paw into her bag, whipping out the odd sphere that had prompted the Zorua's frantic maniacal rage the night before.

Harlequin's glare shot from Tinker to the item in Cleo's paws. Her demeanour changed slightly, unreadable. Cleo wasn't sure if it was rage, fear, or something else entirely but a reaction was still a reaction.

"What is this?" Cleo asked.

Harlequin said nothing, but her eyes didn't leave that unusual sphere.

"If you tell me," Cleo spoke slowly, "I might give it back."

The Zorua's eyes shot to Cleo's, hard and cold as ice. She licked her lips a few times and struggled to push herself up into a sitting position with her forepaws. She cleared her throat and her voice came out hoarse.

"I don't know what it is. It belonged to a friend." She paused, her icy stare boring into Cleo. "It's value is purely sentimental, now give it back."  
Cleo stared back, unfazed by the Zorua's intimidating glare. "Not just yet. I have more questions for you. Why were you targeting us?"

Harlequin snickered. "It's my mission! Why else? Do you think I have a personal grudge or something?" She grinned and inclined her head on one side. "I do now."

Spark cut in front of Cleo and waved a paw at the Zorua. "You can't intimidate us! Your attempts will just be met with another jolt of electricity, Zorua!"

Harlequin chuckled and leered at the Dedenne. "Bring it on, pipsqueak."

"Enough!" Tinker barked. "This is not productive!"

Cleo turned to look at him. "Actually it was until Spark cut in."

Spark crossed her paws and looked up at Cleo. "Hey!"  
Cleo looked down at the Dedenne and pointed at Harlequin. "She's behind bars."

"Actually..." Mischief nodded at Tinker.

The Riolu was opening the heavy, iron door. He glanced back at Cleo.

"When I instruct you, put that bracelet on."

Harlequin had stood up now, and was pacing back and forth, watching Tinker intensely. Her movements were stiff and she had a slight limp on her right paw, likely the remaining effects from Spark's thunderwave.

This didn't hinder her though. Tinker threw the iron door open and within seconds, Harlequin lunged towards him.

"Now-!"

She struck him with a full-body tackle, sending the Riolu flying backwards across the room to land against the wall.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Cleo whisked the bracelet from her bag as Harlequin fixed her livid eyes on her. Baring her white canines, she shot across the room towards Cleo. The Meowstic snapped the bracelet around her wrist with a loud click. Before Harlequin's teeth could connect with her neck, the Zorua was sent reeling away from her, sprawling across the floor.

She stood and shook her head, turned to face Cleo and launched another attack.

The same thing happened again, only with less ferocity. Harlequin was bounced back, skidding slightly on her paws.

Her attention snapped from Cleo to the bracelet on her wrist.

"What is that? Some kind of shield?" She shook her head and turned to face Tinker who was now using the table to pull himself back up. With a grin she lunged for him. Her head snapped back viciously and she yelped, her back legs flying too far forwards causing her to land heavily on her back.

Tinker laughed, his eyes sparkling with glee.

"It works!"

Cleo looked up from the snarling Zorua, fixing Tinker with a look of surprise.

"It _works_? You mean you never tested this thing?"

Tinker scratched his head. "Not extensively."

"_How_ extensively?"

"Well, I used a chair, a tree branch, a door..."

"But no living Pokemon?"

Tinker waved his paw in dismissal. "Regardless, it works. You, and anyone who stays outside of the two foot radius – or in Spark's case, within it –," He nodded to Spark who was standing proudly on Cleo's shoulder, "are safe from Harlequin's physical attacks. And all special attacks are restrained by that collar, rendering her helpless."

Harlequin snarled. "What?!"

Cleo stared at Tinker, aghast. "Tinker, I've not agreed to this."

Mischief looked from Tinker to Cleo. "Agreed to what?"

Tinker shrugged. "My request is that you find more of this new type of Pokemon."  
"But I'm not taking her! She's a danger, not to mention that she makes us a massive target to other members of Hydreigon's armies!"

"Wait!" Harlequin sat bolt upright, looking from one Pokemon to the next. "I am _not_ going anywhere with you!"

Tinker grinned menacingly at the Zorua. "You don't have much choice."

"I do. I just don't have to move." She closed her eyes. "If I can't leave the two foot radius, then you can't move while I'm inside it."

"Cleo?" Tinker looked up at her. "Come here."

Cleo shrugged and moved towards Tinker. He reversed backwards towards the door, leading her away from the Zorua. She felt a tug at her bracelet but nothing more.

"Argh!"

The exclamation had come from Harlequin. She looked back over her shoulder to find the Zorua struggling against the bracelet, dragged along against her will.

"Like I said." Tinker flashed her a smirk. "You don't have much choice."

Cleo looked down at her bracelet then back at Harlequin. Her struggles could barely be felt by Cleo. It seemed the device only worked one way. Cleo felt her heart sink. She might be able to remove the bracelet, but she felt Tinker's words were not just aimed at the Zorua.

...

Harbinger looked down at the river flowing down the mountain side. The water rushed forwards over rocks and twisted around bends, casting a frothy surf into the air as it vanished into the distance.

Just like any other river, it flowed away from the Shadow Lands.

No river led to them, all of them led away, almost as though the water itself didn't want to stay there.

Just like he didn't want to stay there.

The Absol narrowed his red eyes at the thought and turned his attention back to the flowing river.

"They got it going again then?"

He looked down at the speaker. Claw. One of the two Pawniard twins he worked with. The other Pawniard, Scratch, rubbed his blades together nervously as he looked around the mountain.

Just like him, they were outlaws.

Feared.

Unwanted.

He looked away from the Pawniard to watch the rushing river.

"Yes. Yes, it would seem they have."

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	14. Orphan

**A/N - Part 2 starts here! Prepare for a few surprises!**

**Sending out thanks to all new followers, faves and reviewers!**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

Part 2

14 – Orphan

Cleo and her friends trudged through the forest, the usual silence replaced with the growls and snarls from their reluctant companion. Harlequin struggled against her confines, scraping up the earth with her claws as she refused to walk with them. Occasionally she'd lunged at Cleo, gnashing at her with her jaws, but not a single attack could hit. She'd then go back to throwing herself on the ground and wailing and snarling. It had been this way since they'd left at mid day, and the sun was behind them now, getting ready to set.

They'd been walking in silence, not one of them daring to start up a conversation. None of them really knew what to say. They'd been requested to find more of this new Pokemon type, but where does one even begin? They were just walking, no destination in mind. Being stuck with one of Hydreigon's assassins didn't settle well with any of them either, even if Tinker assured them they were safe so long as they stayed out of her reach. Mischief had been trusted with her bag, so the Zorua would have no access to it. Tinker had also told them before they left, or more so told Harlequin, that the only Pokemon who could remove her collar were himself and Cleo.

For some reason, this hadn't surprised Cleo.

It had also stopped Harlequin from thrashing against any nearby walls in a feeble attempt to destroy it.

As such, since they'd left, Harlequin had been going through a vibrant phase of sulking and raging. During one of her more quiet bursts, Cleo had thought she'd tired herself out to the point of sleep, but a glance back showed the Zorua's eyes wide open, leering at the passing trees as she was dragged along like a reluctant child.

"I hate to break the peace," Spark declared from Cleo's shoulder. "But I'm getting hungry."

The Dedenne's voice came as a mild shock to Cleo and Mischief. Cleo quickly surveyed their surroundings and gave a small nod.

"Me too. We'll find somewhere to stop and call it a night."

Spark shook her head. "I'm not sure I'm too comfortable camping out with our little friend back there."

Harlequin let out a sharp laugh. "No, no. Camp out. We'll see how many dark Pokemon I can grab the attention of." She rolled onto her back and flailed. "Help! Help me! I'm in trouble, help!"

Cleo tutted and marched on, dragging the Zorua along on her back.

"Shout all you want," Cleo told her. "You're more likely to attract the attention of Outcasts in this area."

"You might think you're safe around here, but there'll be a Murkrow patrol later." The Zorua almost seemed to purr. "You'll see."

"Oh yeah?!" Spark hopped round on Cleo's shoulder to face Harlequin. "Then I'll just wipe them out with one deft Thunder!" Her little whiskers sparked dangerously.

Cleo hissed at the Dedenne. "Don't do that! I'm not willing to deal with another bad fur day thanks to your static discharge." She shook her head and sighed. Spark didn't even know Thunder, but she wasn't going to declare that in front of the enemy.

"Hey look!" Mischief waved a paw at something in the distance.

Cleo narrowed her eyes to follow it. "What is it?"

"The river's flowing again."

"Ah!" Cleo smiled. So it was. It was too far ahead to hear over the Zorua's din, but it wasn't too far away. "It might make a good place to camp out, let's head for there."

"Are we sure we trust it?" Spark asked. "It might still be poisoned."

"If it is, I think someone here could tell us." Cleo looked back at the Zorua. She'd gone quiet, fixing them with one eye.

"What?" Harlequin snarled. "You want me to sniff out poisoned water for you now?"  
"It's quite simple," Cleo told her. "You don't drink it, we know it's poisoned."

"And what if I'm lying?"

"I think come morning you'll be needing a drink. We all get thirsty, and you've been doing a lot of yelling."

Harlequin snorted and looked away.

Cleo turned away from the Zorua and marched on, keeping a little behind Mischief for his own safety. No matter how much she fought, the Zorua clearly knew so long as she was confined to that collar, she'd lost. With all that fighting, she should have worn herself out enough to not pose much of a threat, or an attraction to her allies.

Now they just had to make it through the first night.

...

"I think this is where they said they found that Pachirisu."

Tinker scratched his nose thoughtfully as he stood with Skipper, examining the ground at the base of a tree. The dead grass was flat, as though something had been lay on it for a long time. Dry leaves lay scattered around it, discarded.

Skipper crouched onto all-fours and peered at the base of the tree, then stood up again and gave a nod at the spot beyond the brambles.

"Well, if we have a little looksee further ahead, we might be able t'find more clues."

Tinker nodded. "I think that's the best plan. Although it doesn't settle with me that the sun is starting to set."

"Aye. T'is a wee bit further out than we thought, sure enough."

Tinker moved past the Marshstomp, pushing the sharp brambles aside to make a path.

"Let's keep our wits about ourselves. Cleo told me they got attacked out here."

"Aye, ye said." Skipper followed after him, nimbly avoiding the thorns. "Wonder who they was?"

"I've no idea, but it wouldn't surprise me if they poisoned the river."

"I'd like t'agree but we dinnae have enough evidence t'back up that theory."

"Then we'll find it."

Tinker was feeling very persistent. If what Cleo had theorized was true, then this was big news. Peaceful Pokemon meant there were still peaceful places out there, areas that hadn't been divided into groups, places where there was no war.

Or maybe there were more groups than they thought, and these just didn't fall into Outcast, Heretic or Darkness.

"Ah!"

The exclamation caused Tinker to spin round with such force he almost lost his balance. His heart leapt into his throat and a metallic taste filled his mouth.

This was followed by a sigh of relief when he saw Skipper intensely inspecting a tree.

"Look at this, Tinker." The Marshstomp ushered him over. "There's been a nest in here."

Tinker peered over Skipper's shoulder. He felt his eye widen. Sure enough, there was a comfortable pile of leaves and grass tucked away in a hole large enough for a couple of Pachirisu or other such small ground dwelling Pokemon to huddle in.

He took a step back and looked up at the tree. It was dead, like the others close by it. However, this meant the tree wasn't thickly covered to hide arboreal Pokemon dens. A small smile played across his lips. Near the top of the tree's thick trunk was another small hole.

"Skipper, give me a boost would you?"

Skipper scratched his head and followed the Riolu's gaze. "I can do that, Tinker, but are ye sure ye can climb that high?"

"I can sure try."

"All right then, step on." Skipper formed his webbed claws into a foot hold for the Riolu.

Tinker steadied himself against the tree and placed a foot in Skipper's paws. With a 'heyup!' the Marshstomp hoisted him up. Tinker grabbed the lowest branch, checked it would hold his weight, and dragged himself up onto it. Another branch hung low enough for him to stretch himself up onto. At this level, he could stand by the trunk and pull himself up to the little den hole.

"There's a nest here too," he called down to Skipper. "It also has a little berry store. They still look fresh too."

"Right enough?" Skipper exclaimed with amazement. "So where are they then?"

Tinker lowered himself cautiously onto the lower branch. With one eye, he didn't have reliable depth perception. Most Pokemon would call his insistence to perform difficult tasks like this stubbornness, but he called it perseverance. There was no need to let something like losing an eye stop him from trying to help others.

He grabbed the lower branch in both paws and swung himself over the edge. Skipper caught him as he dropped to the ground and steadied him on his feet.

Tinker muttered a thank you and looked back up at the tree.

"I'm guessing Emolga," he said.

"What makes ye think that?"

"Pachirisu and Emolga lived in close proximity before Hydreigon scattered Pokemon across the land. As you know, Pokemon used to group together for company and survival. Bulbasaur colonies would live beside rivers where Marill and Azurill lived, for example. The same type would often group together, so finding Roselia and Sunkern colonies amongst Bulbasaur was very common. As such, Pachirisu and Emolga are one example of types sticking together. There may be some nests in the brambles that housed Pikachu and Pichu. Since we are by a river, there are likely some nests by the riverside. If you wouldn't mind having a look since you can swim?"  
"Roger!" Skipper saluted and turned back to the river with haste.

Tinker glanced around at the forest. Now he was aware of them, nests in the trees were becoming glaringly obvious. His heart was beginning to sink drastically as the sun began setting, plunging the forest into gradual darkness. This was how most Pokemon used to live before the Darkness scattered them, forcing them to live inside rushed buildings away from the forest's shadows. The fact some were still fresh was shocking. He wanted to inspect more of them, but they would be hard to find in the dark, not to mention the dangers that would likely affect him and Skipper if they stayed here much longer.

His eyes traced up the trunk of a large tree a few yards away. A small opening lay near the top of the trunk, but amongst the branches were tiny twigs and thick plant stems weaved together to form a nest.

So there had been bird Pokemon here. It was difficult to see from here what kind once occupied that nest, but if birds had been living amongst electric Pokemon then there were likely ground types living around here too. The branches weren't situated to be climbed as easy as the tree he had been in before. This was likely why the Pokemon had chosen that particular tree to build its nest.

He trotted over to the tree, an idea forming in his mind. If he could knock the nest to the floor, he could see what had occupied it. There were likely still feathers inside. He searched the floor for something to throw but there were no rocks in sight. A branch... a long branch to poke it free... no. He shook his head. That was pointless, it was too high.

"Mudkip."

Tinker looked over his shoulder to search the shadows with his left eye. Skipper was trudging towards him, water dripping from his slick body.

"There were Mudkip," he said. "And Marshstomp. Living in the river. I recognise th' nests."

Tinker narrowed his eyes. The Marshstomp looked a little distressed, fumbling with his goggles in his large paws. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It's just... I've never found mah own kind before. Knowing they were this close to home... it's kinda upsetting ya know?"

Tinker nodded sullenly and looked back up at the tree. "Yes, I can understand that."

Skipper rubbed the back of his head and let out a sigh. He followed Tinker's gaze up to the tree.

"Ye found another nest, aye?"

"Yes. I want to get to it, but it's too high." An idea struck him and he snapped to look at Skipper. "Could you shoot it down for me?"

"Shoot it down? That's a wee bit disrespectful, lad."

Tinker snorted at the remark. "It's empty. I just want to know what Pokemon were living here."

"Aye, all right then. Stand back, ya don't want it landin' on ye."

Tinker obeyed, standing a little behind the Marshstomp. Skipper opened his mouth and shot a powerful stream of water at the nest. It shot into the sky, but not as drastically as Tinker had expected. It rotated in the air, and Tinker felt his heart hit his throat once more. It wasn't just feathers that fell from the nest. He shot towards the tree like a dart, stretching out his paws to catch the falling object before it struck the ground and shattered.

Skipper was at his side just as quickly, trying to catch his breath.

"There was an egg there?" Skipper's words were mere surprise than a question. "An egg?"

Tinker curled back from the large egg and stared down at it, his breath still coming in short bursts. It was unharmed, not a crack in sight. White down clung to the unblemished surface, and fell around them like whispy snowflakes. The nest lay discarded beside him, the same white tufts clinging to the inside surface.

The feathers were unmistakable.

Tinker looked up at Skipper and stared at him for a moment before rising to his feet.

"Well, we know who's nest it were, aye?"

Tinker nodded and cradled the egg to his chest. "Altaria."

...

The group had propped up their little tent a few feet away from the river, beneath the shelter of a couple of trees and a scattering of bushes. The forest had thinned out drastically, the floor bare and full of dry grass and decaying leaves. The river sparkled in the moonlight, the stars reflecting on the surface in dizzying patterns as the water rushed over rocks and twisted out of sight around a sharp bend.

Cleo couldn't help but think, under different circumstances, this area would be beautiful. Unfortunately the grass and plants had been killed off with Seviper venom, which instead in the dark of night created a somewhat eerie atmosphere.

She didn't really like it. But they needed somewhere to rest, and by a river was their best option.

Mischief finished securing the tent in place and stretched, yawning widely.

"If you like, I can take first watch?" He told Cleo. "You look like you could use a good sleep. Plus, it looks like Spark has already fallen asleep."

"Nope." The Dedenne sat hunched forward with her head poking out of Cleo's neck fur, her eyes closed. "Just restin' my eyes."

"Thanks Mischief," said Cleo. "I'm not sure how much sleep we're going to get, however."

She looked down at the Zorua. She'd been oddly quiet that at one point they thought she'd fallen asleep. She lay sprawled on the ground, her eyes still wide open, breathing heavily. Evidence of her struggle was plain to see, as her fur was tangled and thick with dirt, with twigs and other debris poking out at dramatic angles. She was clearly exhausted, but if her threat was anything to go by, Cleo doubted she'd be trying to sleep any time soon.

Tearing her eyes from Harlequin, she strutted into the tent, dragging the reluctant Pokemon effortlessly behind her. The Zorua said nothing, but Cleo could feel her icy blue stare burning into the back of her head as she curled up to sleep.

It wasn't long until Harlequin's cries cut through the night air, setting them all on edge. They tried not to let it show, but not one of them dared close their eyes for long.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	15. Daylight Assault

**A/N - I almost forgot it was Monday today and that I needed to upload a chapter! Here it is anyway, a little later in the day than I like to upload it.**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

15 – Daylight Assault

The moon was high in the sky, casting its silvery rays down onto the mountain. Harbinger trotted over the rugged terrain, thick grass welcoming his feet as the worst of it was behind them. The river reflected the light from the moon, almost seeming to guide their way down from the mountain.

The ground levelled out to a more comfortable position, not that this was an issue to the Absol. Scratch and Claw hadn't had much difficulty with the mountain, but Harbinger had none. He was used to coming and going from the mountains across the region.

He didn't feel comfortable in them though.

Despite his thick white fur, he didn't feel at home in the snowy peaks. They offered a fantastic view of the Border Woods. But they were uncomfortable. Unwelcome. Full of memories.

He didn't like it.

Even these smaller mountains didn't feel like home.

Nowhere felt like home.

A sharp cry snapped him out of his reverie and his head snapped up instinctively. He paused, one paw raised above the ground as he strained his ears against the silence.

Then it came again. A desperate cry for help.

He crinkled his nose and lowered his paw, marching on. A cry for help. He didn't do help. Helping wasn't his thing. Who would accept help from an Absol?

Scratch and Claw plodded along beside him, their large eyes searching the trees across the river. That was where the cry had come from, but Harbinger didn't care.

Doom and disaster. That's what Absol are believed to bring. They don't bring help.

The two Pawniard became fidgety, glancing across the river and back at Harbinger while muttering to themselves. Scratch rubbed his claws along his chest blades, his posture becoming more withdrawn as he gazed uncertainly across the river.

Reluctantly, Harbinger followed his gaze. There it was. The source of the cries for help.

His impeccable night vision could make out the form of a female Meowstic sat in front of a makeshift tent. At her side was a dark figure, bedraggled and pawing at the air with its left front leg. A Zorua, his head craned backward as he wailed out feebly, clearly exhausted.

Harbinger couldn't make out how, but the Zorua was clearly a prisoner. Dark Pokemon didn't normally frolic with psychic types. That would have been his first clue if it weren't for the unmistakable blue markings that adorned the Zorua's small body.

Harbinger narrowed his red eyes. He knew that Zorua. His pitiful cries cut through the air, carrying with them every emotion the wretched creature felt. Distressed. Weak. Exhausted.

Abandoned.

Harbinger turned his eyes away and moved on, thick, dry mud wedged uncomfortably between his claws. Scratch and Claw trotted to keep up with him, neither of them glancing back at the scene. They knew when Harbinger wasn't happy.

Deep rivets remained in the ground where he'd been standing.

...

Cleo crawled out of the tent, the morning sun's rays bouncing off the river and dazzling her eyes. Just as she thought, none of them had slept.

She rose to her feet and strolled past Spark. The Dedenne was lying on her back, her limbs spread-eagled at her side.

"Oh, Cleo," she gasped. "I'm so tired. You may have to feed me."

"I'm not feeding you, Spark. You're not an invalid." Cleo removed her bag and dropped it at Spark's side. "You either feed yourself or go hungry."

Spark sat bolt upright. "I can manage."

Mischief came out from the tent, rubbing his eyes. Cleo could tell he hadn't slept. His eyes looked bloodshot and his movements were sluggish.

"I could use a drink," he told her.

"I'd wait. We need to test the water first."

Cleo looked at the Zorua at her side. She stood with her back arched, her head and tail low. Her bedraggled fur and bared fangs gave her a somewhat feral appearance. She was clearly exhausted. Even if she weren't confined, Cleo wouldn't have been afraid of her. She looked like she could be swatted down with no more than a mere scratch.

"You clearly need a drink," Cleo told her. "Lets try the water. You can tell us if it's free from poison."

She trudged over to the river, half dragging Harlequin behind her. She stopped at the river's edge and looked back at Harlequin.

The Zorua didn't need prompting. She was clearly thirsty. She dipped her head towards the water's surface and sniffed it briefly before almost plunging her face into it. Loud laps could be heard and after a few seconds, she whipped her head out and shook it dry.

"It's fine," she grumbled, before taking a step forward into the river and reaching the end of her confines. She stood up to her elbows in the water and looked back at Cleo. "Come on, I need to get clean."

Cleo frowned at Harlequin. "If this is some elaborate trick for me to let you drown..."

The Zorua snorted and bared her canines. "I'm not exactly going to kill myself! I just want to wash all this scuzz from my fur!"

"You only have yourself to blame for that," muttered Cleo. She stepped into the river, allowing Harlequin to venture into deeper waters.

"Hah! Who's the one who dragged me through the forest?!"  
"Well you wouldn't co-operate!"

"Why would I co-operate with the enemy?" The Zorua barked.

"To make things a little easier for the both of us!" Cleo snapped back. "Although you only made things difficult for yourself!"  
Harlequin lunged at Cleo, causing a cascade of water to rise up from the river, drenching the both of them. Cleo instinctively threw herself backwards, lashing out with her claws. Neither of them landed a hit.

"Do you mind!" Spark wailed.

She stood with Mischief on the river bank, both of them dripping from head to foot.

"We're trying to have a drink here," Spark went on. "And you two are fighting in the water like a couple of hatchlings!"

Cleo stood surprised, staring at the gasping and sodden Zorua. The collar-bracelet combo worked both ways. Neither of them could touch the other. Even if she wanted to, Cleo couldn't lay a claw on this Zorua.

"She has a point." Cleo flicked water from her eyes and turned away from Harlequin. "Get cleaned up and we'll move on."

Cleo moved away towards the bank, but remained in the river to allow the Zorua enough room to bathe her fur. She grabbed a few mouthfuls of water and turned to address her companions.

"I've no idea where we're meant to be going," she told them.

Spark sighed and fell to her bottom, grabbing a large Oran berry from Cleo's bag.

"I know," she replied, taking a bite out of it. "And being tired isn't going to help matters. We'll be dragging ourselves along at Slakoth pace."

"What are we going to do?" Mischief asked. "Stop at every town and ask if a new Pokemon type has cropped up?"

Spark pointed at him and looked at Cleo. "He has a point. And even then, how would we test it to see if it's the same?"

They all looked at Harlequin. She was gnawing at her fur to remove tangles. When she felt their stare, she paused and gave them a sideways glance, flashing a snarl.

"No," Cleo said flatly. "She's with us as a bargaining tool, not a punching bag."

Spark snorted and took another huge mouthful of her berry. "She's the wrong type anyway."

Harlequin had gone back to grooming herself, but Cleo knew she was listening to them. She had to if she wanted to find a chance to escape or pull one over on them. Cleo sighed and looked down at the water. She was getting very wet in this river but she refused to show the Zorua she was unhappy about it.

"To be honest," Cleo said, looking back at her friends. "I think we should do what Mischief suggested. Go to each Outcast town and ask."

Spark crinkled her little nose. "With an assassin?"

Cleo shrugged. "What else can we do? She can't do anything anyway. The collar prevents use of her special attacks and I won't let her touch anyone."

Harlequin chuckled and Cleo glanced back at her. The Zorua lay on her back in the river, flailing her limbs in the water.

"You really think it's a good idea?" She asked. "To drag me into an Outcast town?"

Cleo gave her a blank stare. "Your cries didn't reach any of your 'comrades' last night, did they?"

Harlequin pulled her lips back from her teeth in a fierce snarl and snapped her eyes away from Cleo, returning to her task at hand.

Cleo looked down at Spark. "Do you have our map?"

Spark stuffed the rest of the berry in her mouth and crawled into Cleo's bag, pulling out the roll of parchment. Trying to avoid falling into the river, she held it out to Cleo in both paws which the Meowstic had to lean forwards to reach. Once she had it, she unrolled it and scanned her eyes over the map.

"We're almost out of the Moorland's Forest," she told them. "The next town is a day's walk from here. If we keep walking after sunset, we should reach it before morning."

"Another night with no sleep?" Spark whined.

"I'm not happy about it either."

"Oh dear," Harlequin crooned. "Do you think I'm going to keep you awake again?" She hobbled through the river to Cleo's side.

The group watched her cautiously. When she came to a stop, she shook her sodden fur violently, catching them all in the spray. They raised their paws instinctively to shield themselves.

"Oh great!" Spark wailed. "Thanks for that! You crazy Zorua!" Electricity danced across her whiskers, causing Mischief to cautiously leap aside.

Harlequin laughed and moved towards the river bank. Cleo followed her and stopped beside Spark and Mischief, halting the Zorua in her tracks.

"Have some berries," Cleo told her, reaching into her bag and pulling one out for herself. "You'll need your strength because we're not stopping until we reach the next town." She looked up at the Zorua and returned the Pokemon's frown. "Unless you plan on kicking and screaming the whole way again?"

Harlequin inclined her head on one side and sat down, but she didn't respond. Cleo stifled a sigh. She was notoriously difficult to read.

Spark waggled a berry stem at her. "It'd waste all that effort you took to get the muck and stuff out of your fur. Besides, once we're out of this woods the road becomes more rocky. So unless you want your paws reduced to bloody stubs, I suggest you walk." She paused. "And eat something!"

Mischief looked down at the Dedenne then up at Cleo. "Is it just me or is Spark trying to be nice?"

Spark and Harlequin both snorted and shot the Whimsicott a glare.

"I don't need you to be nice," Harlequin growled. "But yes. I suppose I should eat something if I'm going to see the day you get your comeuppance."

Cleo tossed the Zorua a cheri and oran berry. They landed at her feet and she looked from the berries to Cleo.

"Just so you know, I'm not vegan." Regardless, she picked up the cheri and swallowed it in two bites.

Cleo shrugged, taking a bite out of a strip of dried meat. "Well, if you behave yourself, I might share my fish with you."

Harlequin licked berry juice from her lips while fixing Cleo with a sapphire stare. She didn't say anything, but it seemed for a moment she was hungry and tired enough to consider that a tantalising offer.

Cleo stuffed the map back into her bag and hoisted it over her shoulder. "Let's make tracks. The periods of daylight are getting shorter and we have a lot of ground to cover."

"What does that mean?" Mischief rose to his feet. "Are we losing daylight?"

"It means the cold season is drawing in," Cleo explained.

"What's the cold season?"  
Harlequin let out a laugh. "You don't know what the cold season is? How old are you?!"

Mischief thought for a moment then shrugged. "I can't remember."  
Harlequin raised an eyebrow. "Oh, this is just fanta-"

"Leave him alone, Zorua!" Spark rounded on her. "My friend here has no memories. Besides, how old are you? You don't look very old, and you're not even evolved!"

Cleo span to look back at her friend. She was stood between herself and Harlequin, stretched up to her full five inches of height. Right in the middle of what Cleo was beginning to think of as the 'danger zone'.

Harlequin bared her teeth at the Dedenne but it didn't silence her.

"I mean, how do you become an elite assassin if you don't train enough to evolve? It's not like you're carrying an Everstone or anything either."

"Shut up!" Harlequin barked.

"Spark!" Cleo shot to her friend's side.

Spark stood leering at the Zorua, electricity dancing across her whiskers. Harlequin was breathing heavily, her canines bared and a low growl coming from her throat.

"I don't have to explain myself to you," she spoke dangerously.

"Really, Spark." Mischief looked down at the Dedenne. "He didn't even upset me, you didn't have to lash out like that."

Spark looked from Mischief to Cleo then back to Harlequin. She sighed and her shoulders slumped.

"I suppose... I didn't _need_ to lash out."

"Get back on my shoulder, Spark," said Cleo.

She didn't take her eyes off the Zorua. Harlequin was practically seething, and there was a distinct possibility she hadn't realised Spark was in range of her physical attacks.

Spark hopped onto her friend's shoulder where she bristled for a moment. Cleo had started moving now and ushered Mischief on ahead to keep him out of the two foot radius. When she'd calmed down, Spark looked back at Harlequin who was plodding along slowly behind them.

"Okay. So I said some mean things. I'm sorry." She paused, catching a sneer off the Zorua. "But can you just answer me one simple question?"

Harlequin glanced up at her but said nothing.

Spark thought she'd give it a shot anyway. "Are you a boy or a girl?"

Harlequin looked up at her this time, fixing her with an amused glare and grinned widely. "What do you think?"

...

"The problem with passing through a forest," said Spark bluntly, "is that it's difficult to see when you are leaving it when there's little canopy."

Cleo had to agree. They'd been walking along the river, and it seemed that the damage went quite a bit further than they had anticipated. As a result, the daylight wasn't reduced by a thick canopy of leaves. They'd agreed that walking along the river would be their safest option. The poison had pushed any local Pokemon away from it, and the lack of dark shadows reduced the likelihood of encountering any more of Hydreigon's armies.

The ground on either side of the river was steeper here, making the ground a little difficult to walk on. They'd been pushed to move single file along the riverbank, treading carefully so they didn't slip in.

"I think we're almost out," Cleo told her. She wasn't sure, but if her calculations were right, they should be out of the forest very soon.

"What's on the other side of the forest?" Mischief asked.

"The Glen." Cleo hopped over a fallen tree which now created a bridge to the opposite bank. "I've been there before, but I've never passed through it entirely."

"How come?"

"The world is big. I've not been everywhere. It'll be an opportunity to mark new towns on my map."

"I'm afraid you won't get that chance."

Cleo froze, turning her head to the direction of the speaker. Moving through the trees towards them were a group of Pokemon. The look in their eyes spelled disaster. They weren't dark Pokemon, nor were they dragons or ghosts. The small group consisted of a Raichu, Sandslash, Heliolisk and Vigoroth. It was the Vigoroth who'd spoken.

Spark bristled. "Heretics!"

The Raichu and Heliolisk sparked while the other two flexed their claws.

"Don't use that word, rodent!" The Vigoroth roared. "Now. Let's see." He regained his demeanour and scratched his nose thoughtfully. "A Meowstic, Dedenne and Whimsicott. That's what we were told to bring in. But oh-ho! It looks like they've gone'n'gained an ally! Shouldn't you be servin' Hydreigon, little Zorua?"

Harlequin frowned. "I am not here by choice. And I am no friend of yours either."

The Sandslash hissed at the Vigoroth. "Don't speak to him like that, don't you know that's Harlequin?"

The Vigoroth shrugged. "Who cares? He's with them, we'll take him too."

Spark hopped off Cleo's shoulder and stood between her friends and the Heretics. "You're not taking anyone if I can help it!"

Mischief hopped to her side but before he could speak, Cleo cut him off.

"Don't be too hasty, guys," she said. "They may be able to be reasoned with. I want to know who sent them after us."

The four Heretics grinned and snickered between themselves.

"Who sent us?" The Vigoroth jeered. "If I told you that, it would ruin the surprise." He turned to his comrades. "Take 'em out! But make sure we don't do too much damage. He'll be wantin' to see 'em himself personally."

The four Pokemon rushed at them.

Spark sent out a flurry of electricity at the group aiming to take them all down. The electricity was drawn away from the other Pokemon and when the dazzling sparks had cleared, the Raichu was stood on all fours between Spark and his comrades with his tail in the air.

He grinned wickedly. "Thanks for the boost."

Another flash of electricity came from the Raichu, hitting Spark head on and bouncing into Cleo, Mischief and Harlequin.

Cleo fell backwards against a tree. Pain shot through her nerves making her feel like someone had replaced her blood with liquid magma. She opened her eyes, but all she could see was dazzling spots. She blinked to try to see through them, but all she could make out amongst the chaos were four large shapes leaping around before her. A flash of purple was a clear indication Mischief was still standing. She struggled forwards, not daring to launch a blind attack into the fray. She rubbed a paw across her eyes, but it wasn't much use. There was just too much movement to focus on one figure at a time.

The Vigoroth flashed before her eyes and she could just make out his wicked grin before the back of his paw struck her across the head. She didn't even remember hitting the ground.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	16. Trapped

**A/N - Sorry I'm a day late with this one! I forgot... but this means when I upload on Monday, there won't be as big a gap, however?**

**Some news though - I am currently working on one-shots to tie in with the background of various characters. These will be submitted towards the end of this story (or after it entirely if they contain too many spoilers). It's all information I can't find places to fit in the main story. More information - such as what characters to expect - can be found in my profile!**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

16 – Trapped

Harbinger had watched the fight intensely from his perch in the Glen. The ground here was uneven enough to get high up and look down at the outskirts of the Moorland's Forest. A particular rocky outcrop had served as a good seat with a good view of the events that had unfolded below.

It had surprised him. From what he'd seen, Heretics tended to stay away from the Outcasts. Yes, they were enemies, but fights between them were a rare occurrence. What had particularly surprised him was that this group of Heretics had tracked those Pokemon through the forest for quite a while before they'd launched an attack. They'd done it so stealthily, the Meowstic and her friends had no idea they were even there.

It had been planned.

Harbinger narrowed his eyes. What were they up to?

And why hadn't they spared the Zorua?

He stood up and made his way back down towards the forest.

"Where are you going?"

He glanced back at Scratch and Claw. "To follow those Heretics."

"Why?" Asked Claw. "Do you plan to save those Pokemon?" The surprise at such a feat was thick in his voice.

"No." Harbinger continued his way down the steep slope. "I think they're up to something, and I want to know what it is."

...

Tinker had his arms crossed on the table, resting his head on them as he stared at the blanket resting a few inches away. It covered the make-shift nest he'd made, lined with a few of the feathers he'd gathered up from the old nest.

The door opened behind him. "You still watchin' that thing?"

"Oh, Skipper." Tinker didn't look up. "Yes. But I'm not sure if this is going to be warm enough."

"Aye. I dinnae why ye wanna hatch an Altaria egg." Skipper stood at his side and scratched his head. "Ye did make a few good points, I'll give ye that."

Tinker nodded as best he could from his position. "I got it beating again, but I still fear a blanket and a warm nest can't hold a candle to a mother."

"Candle." Skipper snapped his claws. "Ye thought of that?"

"It might set the blanket on fire. I can't risk it."

Skipper made a thoughtful 'hmm' and looked up at the ceiling. "Ye never thought of askin' another mother to warm it for ye? Sure Estelle would be happy to?"

Tinker considered this for a moment, and not for the first time. Estelle was a Ninetails and already had two pups of her own. A fire Pokemon would certainly be a viable option, but there was only one problem.

He looked up at Skipper. "I'd have to tell her what the egg is. And I doubt anyone here would see this the same way I do."

"Aye, ye right there. I think ye a little crazy, to be honest." He looked down at the blanket-covered egg. "The way I see it, it could go one o' two ways. She either agrees with ye and does the favour, or she panics and the entirety of New City goes into an uproar."

"That's what I fear."

Tinker stared at the blanket, barely seeing it any more as his mind went elsewhere. All baby Pokemon hatch innocent, raised by their parents to adapt their parents' morals and behaviours. All Pokemon were alike, separated only by their typing. This little baby would hatch as a Swablu, believing the first Pokemon it saw was its mother or father. Eventually it would evolve into an Altaria, providing power on their side to face off against their foes. A strong Pokemon with their beliefs, their morals, wanting to destroy all the darkness that was consuming their world restoring it to a peaceful haven for all Pokemon. Having such an ally with the power to compete against their foes was a massive benefit to the Outcasts. But who was to say worldly influence wouldn't cause it to turn, deciding instead to be with other dragons and betraying the location of New City?

Tinker sighed. "I'm taking a massive risk."

"Aye, that ye are." Skipper folded his paws behind his back. "But I can see it from both sides. I aint gonna tell ye what t'do, Tinker."

The Riolu said nothing as he tried to wrap his brain around the situation.

"But I am gonna tell ye one thing. The others here are gonna find out 'bout that egg either way. Cos when it hatches, ye can't keep it a secret. It's gotta leave ye office at some point."

Tinker grit his teeth. Skipper was right. He pushed himself up from the table and sighed.

"I should call a meeting, but only the Guild Elites. We'll gauge their reaction then break it to the others gently."

...

Cleo opened her eyes. A bright, dazzling light caused them to snap shut again and she groaned, sitting up and rubbing her head. Everything hurt and her mouth felt like a desert.

"Where am I?" She mumbled.

"The clean place."

She squinted her eyes open, letting them adjust to the brightness. She knew that voice. It was Mischief. He came into view beside her, looking as rough and as beat up as she felt.

"The clean place..." She mumbled, rubbing a paw over her eyes.

It certainly did look clean. The walls were white and spotless, separated from them by strong iron bars. A dull drone of voices became clearer, replacing the throbbing she'd assumed was in her head. Two other figures lay beside her – Spark, who was motionless, and Harlequin who like her seemed to be trying to take all this in.

Cleo let out a pained sigh and leant back against the cold wall. "It's a Heretic lab."

Mischief looked at her, blinking his large, orange eyes. "What's a lab?"

"A laboratory," Cleo answered. "I don't know why they have them. Experiments probably."

"This is where I'm from?" He looked around at the clean, white room. "Did I... did I work here?"

Cleo snorted. "I think it's safer to believe you were on the same side of the bars as you're on now."

A grating noise reached her ears and she looked round at Harlequin. She looked like she was laughing, but it sounded more like a hoarse, stifled cough.

The Zorua fixed them with one eye. "A test subject." She pushed herself up with her forepaws so she was sitting somewhat uncomfortably.

Cleo narrowed her eyes. "Do you know what they do here?"

Harlequin closed her eyes and smirked. "We've heard of these labs, but what they do here is kept secret."

"So you've no idea."

"Haven't the foggiest."

Cleo folded her paws in her lap and stared out at the blank wall. She had an idea. It was likely to do with that strain of Pokerus they'd discovered, the one that afflicted Mischief. But they hadn't found out why the Heretics were using it, if they even were. She had a feeling they were going to find out, and the answer wouldn't be leaving these walls.

They were trapped.

"No..."

Cleo looked down at Spark. She was beginning to stir and waved a paw up in the air in dismissal.

"No more dancing..."

Cleo turned her attention back to Mischief. "How much of that battle do you remember?"

Mischief opened his mouth to reply but was cut off.

"Oh! I doubt he remembers very much of it."

Their eyes snapped to the white wall. Windowless double-doors swung open, revealing a Pokemon that caused Cleo to let out an alarmed gasp.

A male Meowstic smiled at them as he strolled over to their cell.

"I think you're probably aware," he said, "that this Whimsicott suffers from some level of memory loss."

Mischief's eyes widened. "You have my memories?"

The Meowstic snorted laughter. "Oh no, of course I don't have them. They were removed, but... you don't remember that." He smirked. "Pity." He turned his attention to Cleo. "You seem surprised, at a loss for words. What's the problem?"  
"I... thought..." Cleo shook her head slowly. "I thought all Meowstic were wiped out."  
He gave her a half smile. "Well, including yourself, there are two in this room. So I guess you were wrong." He turned his attention to the other two Pokemon.

"But the fire," Cleo stuttered. "Hundreds died. I only escaped by chance. I wasn't there when they attacked. How did you-"

"I ran." He gave her a glance. "I have legs, I used them. Simple as that. Now." He turned his attention to the Zorua. "This is an interesting development. I tried to separate you, but you seem to be attached to your female friend here." He nodded to Cleo. "I imagine that's not by choice?"

Harlequin growled. "Not remotely."

"Well... you can explain it to Enigma when he gets here."

The Zorua's blue eyes widened, but not out of surprise. Regardless, she didn't say anything.

"As for you." The Meowstic turned back to Mischief. "I'd like to know how you lost our tracking device."

Cleo narrowed her eyes. "We destroyed it."

"Oh?" His attention turned back to her. "So you found it?"

"A what?" Mischief looked at Cleo. "A tracking device?"

"Yes." Cleo said flatly. "You were being tracked."

"What for?"

The Meowstic crooned at Cleo. "How much do you know?"

Cleo said nothing, but she could feel all other eyes in the cage on her.

"Cleo doesn't know anything," said Mischief. "If she did, she'd have told me."

"Wrong." Cleo leant her head back against the wall. "We already knew you were a Heretic."

The other Meowstic chuckled. "So you found the mark on his shoulder, as well as the tracking device."

Mischief looked aghast. "I'm a Heretic?!"

The male Meowstic examined his claws. "Mm-hmm. Born and raised. Quite a valued member of our program actually."

Cleo narrowed her eyes at the other Meowstic. "You mean your wicked Pokerus program?"

His eyes widened and he looked at her in alarm. "You know about that?"

"Yes. You've been doing trades with the Shadow Lands. We looted it off some Weavile and had it examined."

"That's quite a speculation you have there." He chuckled. "We've not been trading with the Shadow Lands, we've been trading with outlaws."

"Outlaws?!"

"Yes. Outlaws." He looked back down at his claws then turned his back on them. "Well, I'd best go and prepare for our guest. I'll see you all again soon." He strutted across the room and vanished behind the immaculate doors.

The cell was silent. Even the other Pokemon around them had gone quiet in the chaos. A few of them started to talk again in hushed tones. The increased tension in the air fell on Cleo, thick and heavy.

Another Meowstic.

So she wasn't alone after all.

She put her head in her paws and groaned. Another of her kind and he wasn't even on their side.

"So you knew all along?" Mischief asked. "You knew all along and didn't tell me?"

Cleo lifted her head and leant back against the cell wall. "I wasn't sure how you'd take it."

"Is there anything else you're not telling me?" His voice was bitter.

Cleo flinched. "You also have Pokerus." She paused. When he didn't respond, she continued. "It's a different strain that sends you mad."

"I'm not mad!"

"You know all those battles you have no memory of?" She caught his eye. "There's a reason for that. We believe this is why." She sighed. "Pokerus used to be a beneficial virus, but it's been mutated into something that turns whoever has it into a..." She paused, trying to find the right word to use without causing offence.

"A monster?" Harlequin offered.

Cleo shot her a glare. "Way to be _gentle_ about it."

Mischief looked distraught. "I'm a monster?"

"No!" Cleo turned to him. "I don't know what their plan is here, but whatever you were going to be used for isn't happening now. Not if we can help it."

Mischief seemed to pale. "Was it me?"

"Was what you?"

"Was it me who killed the Noivern?"

Cleo sighed. "Yes."

He covered his face with his paws and let out a low whine.

"That's how we found out you can take down a dragon," Cleo explained.

"There's a lot you've not told me," he whimpered. "Why? Don't you trust me?"

"I find it hard to trust anyone," Cleo explained. "But you're becoming a valuable friend."

Harlequin cut past them and examined the door to their cell. "A friend wouldn't lie."

Cleo snapped at her. "You're not helping!"

"I wasn't trying to." The Zorua wrapped her teeth around the lock and gave it a tug.

"I didn't lie," Cleo explained to Mischief. "You had a lot to deal with, learning about this world from scratch. If we'd told you all this, what would you have done? How would you have reacted?"

Mischief stared down at his paws, silent.

"I have to admit," Cleo went on, "I was worried you might try to rejoin the Heretics."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because it's where you come from."

"You let me follow you when I was lost. You gave me a friend. Why would I just throw that away?" He turned his head to look at her. "I'm not your enemy."

Cleo nodded. "I know."

Harlequin turned to look at them. "I hate to disturb this cushy moment, but you appear to be unaware that our belongings have been taken."

Cleo looked down at herself, noticing for the first time her bag was gone. She grit her teeth and groaned.

"The bad news is, I have picks in my bag." Harlequin fixed her with one blue eye. "I could have us out of here in no time flat."

Cleo raised an eyebrow at her. "Us?"

Harlequin frowned. "I don't have much choice do I? Since we're attached!"  
"Why do you want to get out of here? Isn't this Enigma a friend of yours?"

"Under normal circumstances, yes. But I'm not too happy for him to find out I've failed my mission and not just been captured by Outcasts, but Heretics as well!" She span to face the door and threw herself at the lock, attacking it with her claws.

A disgruntled groan came from Cleo's side. Spark sat up and rubbed her head, yawning widely.

"Can't a girl get any sleep around here?" She looked around at the cell. "Wait... this isn't my bed."

"Hey!" Harlequin looked round at her. "Stick your whiskers in this lock and see if you can bust it open!"  
Spark crossed her arms. "Not with that attitude."

Cleo ran a paw down her face. "Spark, forget formalities. Just give it a try."

Spark mumbled something under her breath and stood up, hopping over to the lock. She stared up at it then up at Harlequin.

"Too high."

Harlequin bared her canines at the Dedenne. Before she could retort, Cleo stood and picked up Spark high enough for her to latch onto the lock.

"Give it a try," She said.

Spark turned her head and jammed one of her whiskers inside the keyhole. She gave off a small electric jolt. Harlequin and Cleo stood a safe distance from the bars, bracing themselves for static to fly across them. None came.

Spark looked up at them. "Nothing's happening."

Harlequin wailed and stormed to the other side of the cell. "None-conductive! Great!"

Spark hopped down off the lock and looked from Harlequin, to Mischief then to Cleo. "Harlequin's riled, Mischief looks glum... I might need filling in here."

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	17. Project B

**A/N - I'm late with this one again =( I don't know where my head is lately. Sorry about this.**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

17 – Project B

Rio paced back and forth in his office, rubbing his paws together, occasionally glancing out of the window. It felt like it had been hours since he'd sent message out to Enigma, and there was no sign of the returning Chatot. The long delay was causing him to reconsider things, and he was growing more and more uncomfortable.

A light rap at the door froze him in his tracks and he looked round at it stiffly.

"Come in."

The door swung inward to reveal a Vigoroth and Rio let out a long sigh of relief he'd not been aware he'd been holding in.

"Tantrum, it's only you."

"Nice to see you too." The Vigoroth closed the door behind him and leant on it. "You seem restless. 'Sup?"

"Oh... you know." Rio clapped his paws together and looked back out of the window. "Just doubts and worries."

"Worried stuff's gonna go wrong?" Tantrum let out a snicker. "Wouldn't worry 'bout that. Those Pokemon are locked up good'n'proper. They aint gonna get outta that cage any time soon, so I wouldn't worry your pretty little tails off."

Rio snorted at the Vigoroth's remark and shot him a glance. "It's not that I'm worried about. I'm having second thoughts."

Tantrum raised an eyebrow and let out something akin to an "oh!"

"I'm a little reluctant to relinquish the Whimsicott."

Tantrum let out a laugh and thumped his knee a few times. "Ahh! Enigma ain't gonna be too happy to hear that, Rio! That's the one that gone and killed Boomer, ain't it?"

Rio scratched his ears and leant back on his desk. "Yes, that's the problem."

"Why d'ya wanna keep him anyway?"

"Because he took out a Noivern."

Tantrum shrugged. "So?"

"Think about it." Rio fixed the Vigoroth with his blue eyes. "If this new type harnesses such power, we could form an army that could hold its own against Hydreigon himself!"

"But..." The Vigoroth blinked a few times. "We wanna be in his good books, right? We don't want him targeting us and wipin' us out, do we?"

"No, it's supposed to be the other way around." Rio sighed and glanced at the floor. "But we've discovered this new Type 18 and the Pokemon we sent back to him with news of it was slaughtered by a Pokemon created in our lab. If news of that gets back to him, imagine what he'd do?"

"T'was an accident."

"I fear he won't see it that way. Plus Enigma made a pretty good point, Tantrum." Rio fixed his eyes back on the Vigoroth. "Boomer's demise may not have been a disastrous thing."

A pause passed over them and the Vigoroth flinched with unease.

"Whaddaya mean?"

"This type is capable of wiping out both dark and dragon type Pokemon. If Hydreigon, a Pokemon that possesses both types, were to find out about this, he'd start a war."

Tantrum flinched again. "Eesh!"

"And who'd be the first to be targeted? The known source of Type 18." Rio thumped his chest. "Us."

"Ya make a good point." Tantrum scratched his head. "But you've already told Enigma about it, right?"

"Yes, but I'm hoping he'll keep what I told him to himself while I think this over."

"So you're plan is to reason with one of Hydreigon's ace assassins?" Tantrum made an uneasy chuckle. "I wish ya well wi'that one, Rio!"

"Hmm." Rio looked up at him sharply. "If things fail, we always have our own trump card to fall back on."

Tantrum paled. "You don't mean..."

Rio nodded. "Yes. Project B."

"Please tell me you've not gone'n'told him about Pokerus as well, Rio. Cos if ya have, then we'll be toast!"

Rio snorted. "Of course I haven't! I'm not stupid, Tantrum!"

"Good, cos let's face it – Type 18 plus a mutated Pokerus virus isn't gonna settle well with any Pokemon never mind Hydreigon. We could wipe out half the region with Project B alone! I still don't understand why ya wanna keep it!"

"It's our best defence against Hydreigon. And right now, I think we may need more power." Rio spoke bluntly, his eyes not leaving the Vigoroth. "We make a start tonight – Project C – starting with the Whimsicott."

"And what do we tell Enigma?"  
"Simple. We tell him we lost it." Rio shoved a document file into the Vigoroth's arms. "Move the Whimsicott and make a start on the preparations."

...

Harbinger crouched amongst the trees that skirted the very outside of the Heretics laboratory. Scratch and Claw had breached the boundaries, slipping through unseen to lurk by the window, but Harbinger had heard every word.

Absol were feared to bring natural disasters with them wherever they went, but the truth was they could hear them. Their hearing was impeccable. The subtle sounds in the air that preceded natural disasters rang out like a warning siren to an Absol. There was nothing ominous about it. It was survival. But because other Pokemon couldn't hear them like they could, it had given Absol a bad reputation.

The other upside to this hearing however was that he could hear every word that the sleazy Meowstic had just said.

The Pawniard twins scurried back to the trees in a flash, glancing back to check if they'd been seen. Harbinger had to admit, the security around this lab was pretty slack.

"I take it you heard everything?" He asked the Pawniard.

They both nodded and glanced back to the window.

"An army." Scratch ran his claws together and shifted his weight from foot to foot. "There's going to be a war, isn't there."

Harbinger turned his back to the lab and paced back through the trees. "There's already a war, we're just on the losing end of it."

The two Pawniard followed silently after him. He listened to their sharp feet crunching over the dry forest debris then came to an abrupt stop and sat down.

They stared at him with two pairs of large red eyes.

"That Pokerus." He looked down at them. "Do you think you could get me the information on that?"

Scratch shifted uneasily while Claw returned the Absol's stare.

"You mean steal?" Claw asked.

"I'd hardly call it stealing," Harbinger told him. "It's obtaining vital information." He looked up from the Pawniard in thought. "If they're wanting to build an army, I fear they won't be on our side. They're Heretics. This world is in enough of a state as it is. I want to know what we're going to be up against."

"So..." Claw ran a blade over the back of his head, creating an ear-splitting screech of metal. "You actually want to... help?"

"Helping?" Harbinger raised an eyebrow at the Pawniard. "We may be fighting for our lives. If I can nip this in the bud before it blooms, then we don't have anything more to worry about do we?"

The Pawniard exchanged glances then nodded, trotting back to the lab window.

Harbinger watched them as they slinked beneath it, glancing in all directions before deciding it was all clear to climb through to the other side.

Helping.

Harbinger frowned. It wasn't helping. He didn't have a place in the world. He needed to fight to survive while he tried to live out his goal – throw Hydreigon off his throne. That would bring an end to the Shadow Lands. An end to the war, and would see out his blood-boiling grudge against the odious dragon.

He watched as one of the twins climbed back through the window and caught a large file as it followed after him. His brother landed at his side and the pair of them bolted across the grass, unseen by the significant lack of guards.

Harbinger cast his eyes up and down the building. Where were the guards? Did the Heretics just not care? Or did they only guard the main door? Surely it couldn't be this easy.

The large file was promptly dropped at his feet and he looked down at it. Scrawled across the front were the words 'Project B'.

Harbinger flicked the file open with a claw and scanned the careless writing. Whoever documented this data didn't exactly have great penmanship.

'_The second Pokemon to be infected with Pokerus has given us great results. It's power has drastically increased after a single training session, breaching the limits that the original Pokerus strain would reach. This is a tremendous feat! With this virus in hand, we could create an army of pure strength and endurance!'_

He flicked through, page after page, taking in chunks of the data, each one causing his brow to furrow in a frown. They were treating their test subject like an object. There was no reference to what species this 'Project B' was, no reference to gender, no name. All identity was kept secret. A careful strategy to keep their devious experiment secret or a blatant ignorance to the individual identity of what could be perceived as nothing more than an object?

'_Today's training has alarmed us. It's power just keeps on growing. This is an incredible development, nothing has ever pushed a Pokemon's attack power so high! We've been trying to establish a good training regime for defence but Project B seems unable to co-operate with us. Each attack it endures is retaliated against with one of its own. It seems to really enjoy combat so we'll have to throw it into full-on combat to increase its defence and attack at the same time_.'

'_Project B turned on us. We had to use tranquillisers to bring it down. We had two casualties, and we could do nothing to save them. We think this madness may be related to the Pokerus strain._'

'_Project B has no memories of yesterday's events. We've decided to spare the subject and continue our research with caution._'

'_Another outburst. It would seem the trigger is combat. Project B enjoys the training sessions, but after several attacks it goes rampant and destroys anything it can get its claws on. It's unclear if this is simply combat that triggers the madness, or the emotions related to battling. It becomes more euphoric as the battle goes on, then loses control and goes rampant._'

Harbinger grit his teeth. What were they creating behind those walls? He flicked through several more pages – madness, power, madness, casualties. He froze as he read one of the entries, his eyes widening and his veins burning with cold fury.

'_It happened. Project B has completely turned. We can't snap it out of this madness. Its power is just too great. We've had to confine it to chains behind iron bars. This thing is a killing machine, but we refuse to destroy it. Our tests will continue with other projects to see if we can create more like this one, maybe ones that are even stronger. We've considered trying to find a way around the madness, but the madness removes moral judgement. As it stands, this thing has become a biological weapon. With this in our paws not only do we have the means to defend ourselves but we also have the start to the most powerful army the world has ever seen_.'

Harbinger slammed the file shut. He stared down at it, his red eyes furious as he digested this information.

"We make a start tonight – Project C – starting with the Whimsicott," he muttered.

Scratch blinked. "What?"

"They're going to make another one. Another crazed killing machine." Harbinger stood and marched towards the lab. He stopped at the edge of the clearing, remaining behind the trees, and stared at the squat building. "The world is in danger. If they make more of those things then what will this world be reduced to? It's already in a dire situation, we don't need the Heretics adding to it with their crazed, insane experiments." He paused, his mind working through a plan of action. "We need to stop this."  
Scratch and Claw looked up at him, then turned their large eyes to the building.

"What are we going to do?" Claw asked.

"Tonight we go inside, and wreck havoc. Release all their test subjects, trash all their files, then run."

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	18. Failure

**A/N - Chapter 18! I hope you enjoy! Just a curious question, but I think we're far in enough now to ask. For those who post reviews, who's your favourite character?**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

18 – Failure

A plate of berries and meats was shoved through the bars of the cell. Cleo stared down at it with the others. It was coated with a thick berry sauce of an unappealing colour, but she was hungry and it smelled good. Besides, they were going to need their strength if they had to put up a fight against Enigma and plan an escape from this place.

Spark didn't even hesitate. She snatched a large Oran berry from the plate and bit into it. A euphoric smile spread across her face and she looked at her cell mates.

"It's good. Dig in."

Harlequin crinkled her nose at the Dedenne. "You didn't even think to check if it was poisoned first?"

Spark swallowed her mouthful of berry. "Why would they poison us? They want us alive, right?"

Harlequin shrugged and grabbed a piece of meat from the plate, swallowing it in one bite before grabbing another.

Cleo reached for one and examined it. "I trust from your reaction, it's not poisoned?"

The Zorua licked her lips. "Like I said, I'm not suicidal. I wouldn't eat poisoned food just to trick you."

Cleo snorted at Harlequin's overly convoluted way of saying 'no' and tucked into what she assumed was dried fish. She glanced over at Mischief, still sitting against the wall and staring blankly through the bars.

"Aren't you having anything?"

He didn't look at her, but she thought from the slight movement he made that he may have sighed. She returned one of her own and looked away. It had been this way since their conversation earlier. He refused to speak to any of them. She had to admit she couldn't exactly blame him either. She wasn't convinced she wouldn't behave the same way if her friends had kept something so crucial from her.

She grabbed a berry from the rapidly depleting plate and moved to his side.

"Here." She handed it to him.

He said nothing, continuing to stare off into space.

Cleo stifled a flustered sigh. "Look. You need your strength if we're going to get out of here. Take it. We probably won't get another plate, and we're running out of time."

"What's the point?"

His words startled her. She wasn't actually expecting him to speak after sitting for so long in silence. She opened her mouth to reply, but he cut her off before she could even form words.

"I belong here anyway, don't I?"

Cleo fell back onto her haunches, still clasping the berry in both paws. His words had almost wounded her and she searched her mind for the right response. The silence that followed was a clear indication that the other two had ceased their meal to listen in to their conversation, clearly much more interesting than what was on the plate.

"No." Cleo finally said. "No, you don't belong here. You belong in the Guild."

Mischief said nothing. He leant his head back against the wall, adopting the art of silence once more.

Cleo let out that flustered sigh and placed the berry down next to him. If her words meant nothing, then there wasn't much else she could do.

No... help him get out of here, that's what she could do.

She turned away from the Whimsicott and her vision was dazzled by a few stray sparks of electricity. She looked down at Spark, her whiskers crackling as the Dedenne rubbed her paws over them.

"Spark?" Cleo moved over to her friend. "Are you all right?"  
Spark looked up at her. "I think my whiskers have shorted."  
Harlequin flopped to the floor beside her and yawned widely. For a moment Cleo thought the Zorua was mocking them, but the dull hum she had grown accustomed to hearing throughout her lifetime had come to a sudden stop, and every sound around them seemed so much more concentrated that her fur stood on end.

"What's going on?" She pressed her paws over her ears and her eyes fell to the near-empty plate beside Spark.

"It's the sauce," slurred the Zorua.

"So it was poisoned?" Cleo's fur bristled but not because of Harlequin. Footsteps were echoing across the floor and two Pokemon appeared at the cell.

"Poison?" The male Meowstic crooned at them. "You offend me."  
She looked up at the Meowstic and Vigoroth. The latter was fumbling with the lock and with a shrill creak, the cell door opened.

"It was a concoction of berries designed to sap your strength," the Meowstic told them. "Wacan for electricity, Rindo for grass, Payapa for psychic and Colbur for dark. Normally they'd reduce the damage taken by the specified attack received by the Pokemon that had eaten it. Interestingly, like your little sparky friend here, eating a Wacan berry reduces the power of electrical attacks. So... for a short while she might be feeling a little... out of sorts."

The Vigoroth grabbed Mischief by the arm and dragged him to his feet. "Come on, we're moving you to another cell."

"Grass..." Cleo's eyes widened. "Mischief! You've not eaten anything, stop them!"

Her words fell on deaf ears. The Whimsicott stumbled along after the Vigoroth while the Meowstic locked their cell.

"Mischief!" Cleo leapt to her feet. She unfurled her ears to try and stop them, but nothing happened. She fell to her knees and growled.

"Don't worry," the other Meowstic purred. "You won't be here for much longer. But your friend there, oh we have big plans for him."  
Cleo snapped to fix the Meowstic with a glare. "What are you doing to him?"  
He feigned a pathetic expression and inclined his head on one side. "Oh, I'm afraid I can't tell you that. It's confidential."

"Leave him alone," Cleo growled. "He's not done anything to you."

"He failed his mission, he's done enough." He turned away, swinging the keys around in his paw as he made for the door.

"Leave him alone!" Cleo stood and launched herself against the bars of the cell. The reverberations echoed around the white room, creating a din that caused her to push her paws over her ears and fall back from the bars, landing on her bottom on the cold, hard floor.

A deep chuckle came from the Zorua but Cleo didn't give her so much as a glance.

"Failed his mission." Harlequin chuckled again. "I can relate to that."

...

Night had fallen, casting the squat building in deep shadows from the surrounding trees. Harbinger and the Pawniard twins stood between the trees, a clear map of the building's interior and outer perimeter in their minds. The Pawniard brothers had breached the inside and had a quick look around before returning to Harbinger to formulate a plan. The inside was small. A lab, an office, a small room with a table and food stash, and a room that was closed off, needing a key to enter. This likely held the captive Pokemon. The building itself had two exits – the front and back doors. The back was locked from the inside and had no guards. The front had guards – two – both of them anxious and fidgety, clearly awaiting Enigma.

Harbinger guessed they didn't even have until midnight. He clutched a large tree branch in his jaws, his red eyes focused on Scratch's claws as he whipped them together to create a flurry of dangerous sparks. After several attempts, the sparks struck the branch and lit the dry, brittle bark aflame. The orange light danced and flickered, causing the shadows around them to jerk about in an unsettling manner.

The Absol turned his head to look at the building. The torch wasn't for light and would likely burn out faster than he desired. He had to work fast.

The two Pawniard followed his plan smoothly. The branch was lit. Now they had to climb through the office window, take out any Pokemon that was lurking within it, and smash through the doors that led to the closed room to free all the caged Pokemon.

Harbinger gave them a moment before launching himself through the window. The office was empty, like he expected it to be. He didn't need to be careful with the torch. All the paper work here screamed at him to be burned.

...

Spark sat bolt upright.

"Do you smell smoke?"

Cleo's nose twitched. Yes... yes, that was smoke. It was unmistakable. Her body went cold and she began to shake.

Not fire.

Not them.

Not here.

Harlequin shot to her feet and paced up and down the cell, examining the bars. The rest of the room was thrown into distress as the other caged Pokemon cried out and shouted for help. Spark joined in the fray, clutching the bars of their cell and shouting at the top of her lungs.

"Oi! We smell fire! Let us out!"

Almost on cue, the opposite wall seemed to explode. Two dark shapes shot through it, orange light flickering off the surface of their bodies. Sharp blades lit up a deep orange, poking out of their bodies in a uniform fashion. Pawniard. They paused briefly as they surveyed the room then bolted in opposite directions towards the surrounding cells.

Spark looked over at Harlequin. "Friends of yours?"

Harlequin shook her head, not looking at the Dedenne. Cleo looked away from her cell mates, her attention drawn to the sharp clink that echoed through the room. The voices of the other Pokemon raised as they flooded into the room, trying to gain some sense of order as they decided which way to leave. Into the flames, or find another exit? None of them knew of one.

One of the Pawniard shot past their cell, its blades raised. In a split second, the lock was sliced from the cell and the door opened an inch with the impact. Cleo didn't need any instruction. She leapt to her feet and slipped through the cell door with Harlequin and Spark in tow. The Dedenne leapt to her shoulder for a better view of the chaos around them.

"Which way?" She asked.

The Pokemon grouped together, tens of voices rising at once. Cleo pushed through them towards the door. The two Pawniard stood in the entrance, glancing back and forth, the light from the fire reflecting off their steel bodies.

There was no way out. They were trapped. Why they had rescued them was a mystery, but in doing so, they were stuck.

Trapped.

Cleo looked back over her shoulder and took a deep breath.

"Listen!"

Her voice barely broke over the din. She turned to face the group of confused Pokemon and opened her mouth to try again. A few were looking her way, and amongst them was a large Azumarill.

"You!" She pointed a claw at the water Pokemon. "Can you lead the way and put out those flames?"  
"I can try!" She called back. "But I only know physical water attacks. I'd have to literally throw myself through the fire."

Cleo lowered her paw. That wasn't much good.

"I can try though. Let me go ahead of you." The Azumarill strode past Cleo towards the hallway.

The Pawniard watched her go then looked at one another.

Cleo felt a small spark of hope rise in her chest. Then an idea hit her. She trotted after the water Pokemon, oblivious to the din of the other Pokemon swarming into the hallway after her.

"Wait!" She caught up with the Azumarill. "You need to create water to launch your attacks. But you don't need to throw yourself with it. Let me control the water."

The Azumarill gave her an amused stare. "You? Control the water?"

"Yes. I'm a psychic Pokemon. I can use my abilities to control where the water goes. We can put it out together."

The Azumarill gave a nod and the two of them ran down the corridor towards the source of the fire. It opened up into a blazing room. A window lay on the far side, just visible through the thick smoke and fire.

The Azumarill set to work, covering her body in a large veil of water. Spark made the wise choice to remove herself from Cleo's shoulder as the Meowstic opened her ears and that familiar humming sound intensified. Good, her abilities were back. She'd gone into this quite blindly with no idea what to do if the plan failed. She stifled a sigh of relief and focused on her task. Carefully, she drew water from the water Pokemon's body, sending it into the room like a tornado. It grew with every twist, racing around the room and drowning the flames as it went. Before long, the room was safe enough to cross.

The crowd of Pokemon rushed to the window, flowing out one after the next. Cleo and the Azumarill stood aside to fight what was left of the fire, making sure it was safe enough for the other Pokemon to escape. Once the room was empty, Cleo and her ally made for the window, joining the Pokemon on the other side. Harlequin was last through, landing in a crumpled heap at Cleo's feet. She shot her a snarl as she pushed herself up, then glanced around at the chaos outside.

Cleo followed her gaze. There was no sign of the Pawniard that had helped them.

"Hey, Meowstic."

Cleo looked back at the Azumarill.

"Thanks for the help." She gave Cleo a wide smile. "I'm afraid this is where we part ways."

Cleo nodded. "Where will you go?"  
The Azumarill shrugged. "No idea. I have friends here, so I'm sure we'll think of somewhere. All I can say is far away from these Heretic crack-pots." She grinned again. "You never know, we might meet again some day." She skipped away from Cleo then looked back. "My name's Blossom!"

Cleo smiled. "Cleo. Take care now. I have to find my friend..."

Her words froze in her mouth. Standing apart from the crowd was Mischief. She ran over to him, dragging the Zorua behind her and forcing her to run to keep up. He gave her a half-smile when he saw her.

"Looks like no one belongs here." He gave a small laugh and looked up at the smouldering building. "Maybe... it's a good thing I forgot this place..."

A roar split through the air, bringing the crowd of Pokemon to a silence. This seemed to prompt them to gather themselves and run, heading for the forest.

"What was that?" Spark asked.

"I don't know," said Cleo. "And I don't really think we should stay around here to find out either."

She ushered Mischief ahead of her, and they followed after the fleeing Pokemon. She didn't know where the Meowstic or the other Heretics had gone. Maybe they'd fled the fire, leaving their test subjects to burn. Maybe they were the source of that roar. Whatever the case, Cleo didn't want to wait around to find out.

...

"An Absol!" Rio roared. He paced back and forth, his paws balled into fists. "An Absol brought disaster on my lab!"

Tantrum tugged on one of the iron chains confining the rampaging Tyranitar.

"Think we have somethin' bigger t'worry 'bout right now, Rio."

The other members of Rio's group stood around the massive Pokemon, each clutching a heavy chain. The Plusle and Minun duo seemed to be having the most trouble, both clutching the same chain while trying to avoid the Tyranitar's thrashing tail.

Rio looked at his team-mates briefly. None of them could do anything to subdue the large Pokemon. A Meowstic's abilities wouldn't affect it, and the Raichu, Heliolisk, Plusle and Minun would barely dent it with its high defences. Tantrum would likely break his claws. The Sandslash alone stood the best chance but if he used his skills he would likely knock his allies over in the process. And there'd been enough disasters for one day.

Rio nibbled his claw in thought. If his message had reached him, Enigma should be here any minute.

Any minute now.

And he'd lost them all.

A soft chime from an unseen bell sent chills through Rio and his team. The Tyranitar almost broke free of its confines, but the group regathered themselves and commenced trying to pull the Tyranitar to the ground.

"My my." Enigma materialised on a branch above their heads. "This is quite the situation you've found yourselves in isn't it?"

"Enigma! Let me explain." Rio tore himself away from the working Pokemon and looked up at Enigma. "It was an Absol. He set the place on fire then ran, just like that. He must have freed all my test subjects, the forest is full of-"

"Fleeing Pokemon." Enigma examined his claws. "Amongst which I believe I spotted a Meowstic and Whimsicott." He tutted. "So careless. Whatever am I going to tell my boss?"

Rio raised his paws. "I can get them back. Trust me, I can get them all back. Well... maybe not all... but I'll get that Meowstic and her friends. You have my word. I'll bring them back and send word to you-"

Enigma pulled a blue feather from his mouth, examined it, then sent it flowing down to the floor. Rio watched the feather, a cold chill running through his body.

"Thanks for sending me a snack, by the way."

Rio looked up at the Banette, dumbfounded.

Enigma inclined his head on one side and stared down at Rio for a moment before letting out a chuckle. "I told you not to let me down."

"B-but... I wasn't expecting the Absol-"

Enigma waved a paw in dismissal. "Excuses, excuses. The fact is, Rio, you let them get away." He looked over at the Tyranitar, thrashing against the heavy chains. "You let them get away so you could control your pet."

Rio pointed at it. "If this thing gets loose, Enigma, it'll spell disaster!"

Enigma chuckled and kicked himself away from the tree. In one swift motion, he warped beside the Tyranitar, floating just below its jaw line. His claws vanished beyond the rock Pokemon's chest plate. The beast let out a shrill howl and twisted its body wildly, thrashing all five limbs, its tail swerving through the air and sending the Plusle and Minun duo rolling along the ground. The other Pokemon abandoned their attempts to confine it and fled to a safer distance. Its thrashes came to an end as the Tyranitar crumbled to the ground in a motionless heap.

Enigma examined his claws, dripping with fresh blood and flicked them a few times before wiping them in the dirt. Rio looked away from the Banette to stare down at his fallen experiment.

Ruined.

Everything was ruined.

Enigma strode past him, drawing stares from Rio's team-mates but not from the Meowstic. He paused by Rio and spoke softly to his ear.

"I'm done with you, Rio. You failed me."

The Banette adjusted his scarf and strode away into the shadows, the soft jingling from his bell fading away into the distance.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	19. Ruins

**A/N - Woo! Chapter 19! Probably one of my favourite ones! =D I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

19 – Ruins

Pet.

Pet was the word he'd used to describe that thing.

'That thing'.

'Pokemon' hadn't even occurred to him as a suitable word to describe it.

Enigma nibbled on his claw as he trudged through the thick mound of mountain plants as he left the forest. He'd not been paying much attention to where he was going and it wasn't until a heavy thorn bush snagged his scarf that he snapped into realisation and glanced back over his shoulder at the mass of closely-knitted trees.

An Absol. Rio had told him an Absol had caused all that chaos.

What would an Absol want with a Heretic lab? And why free all their captive Pokemon and unleash a monster like that Tyranitar?

Maybe the Absol knew something Enigma didn't.

Something that Rio had kept from him.

That Tyranitar... after thinking about it, there was only one word he could use to describe it.

'Insane'.

That reaction wouldn't have been befitting of a sane Pokemon, no matter how scared or frantic. It would have been spouting words for one thing, but all that... Pokemon... was doing was roaring and thrashing and showing a desperate attempt to harm those who tried to subdue it in the process.

Yes. That creature was insane. Dangerous.

So why was Rio holding on to it? Other than causing mayhem, why had he not told his workers to kill it and then stop the fleeing captives? What was so important that Rio had completely violated his commitment to Enigma to hold Boomer's killers?

Enigma chuckled and smoothed out his scarf, plucking free some of the embedded thorns from the thick material.

Yes... he was hiding something. And the Absol knew it.

It was the only explanation.

Absol are dark Pokemon. The Pokemon he freed were Heretic lab subjects and the Outcast Guild members. Outcasts don't pal around with dark Pokemon. He'd never seen an Absol in close proximity to them. Any dark Pokemon (or ghost or dragon) were met with speculation and accusation, and often imprisoned never to be seen again, or killed.

Of course the 'never to be seen again' and 'killed' are likely one in the same thing.

That led him to the other thing that was bothering him.

That fleeing Meowstic and her companions were accompanied by a dark Pokemon, one he thought he knew quite well.

Harlequin...

He flicked a thorn he'd been staring at into the bushes and turned back to the forest, staring up at the enclosed canopy.

The sun was setting. They'd be settling down now, trying to hide from the prying eyes of any lurking dark Pokemon.

He planned to be that Pokemon. He just had to find them first.

...

Cleo had been running for what felt like an eternity.

The lab was far behind them now, and the other escapees had long since scattered, going their separate ways in small groups.

It was a sensible move to make. There may be safety in numbers, but a large group of Pokemon running through the forest would have stood out to any Pokemon that may be waiting for such a golden opportunity.

None of them had said a word for a while now, all of them focusing on just getting as far away from that lab as possible.

Her lungs felt fit to burst and she finally slowed, bending over with her paws on her knees.

Harlequin had no choice but to stop but the others carried on ahead for a moment then looked back as they realised she was no longer following them.

"Yeh." Spark fell to her bottom on the dry ground. "I'm exhausted too."

Mischief nodded and leant back against a tree. "Do we plan to camp here? Or..." He waved a paw. "Just... carry on more slowly?"  
Harlequin sat down and puffed out her chest. "I'm all for waiting here, if I'm honest."  
Spark pointed a claw at the Zorua. "Oh no... we're not falling for that one. What do you take us for?"  
Harlequin grinned. "Fools."

Spark frowned and little jolts of electricity danced across her whiskers, but she bit her tongue and remained quiet. Now was no time to argue.

Cleo looked from one Pokemon to the next and straightened up.

"We should find shelter," she told them. "Somewhere secluded and quiet. And maybe gag this one." She nodded to the Zorua.

Harlequin snarled. "You can try, but I'll bite you."

Spark huffed. "I'm not going anywhere near that maw."  
Mischief shrugged. "I'll do it. Spark can always paralyse him if need be anyway."

Cleo frowned. "No one is paralysing anyone. Understand? We need to co-operate." She looked around at the forest. It grew thicker here, obscuring any hint of daylight. Diurnal Pokemon often avoided dark parts of the forest such as this, since it was hard to tell what time of day it was, and the nocturnal Pokemon that hunted them often took advantage of this.

A chill ran down her spine as the image of burning trees and the sounds of screams briefly filled her mind. She shook her head sharply and moved confidently forwards.

"Come on. Anywhere secluded should be fine."

A tug at her bracelet told her Harlequin was reluctantly following after them, mumbling incoherently to herself.

Mischief picked up pace and trotted on ahead of them, keeping an eye on Cleo, not that she knew where she was going. This part of the forest was alien to them, and they'd lost the river. She wasn't sure if they were heading away from New City towards the Glen or blindly making their way into the Shadow Lands.

Cleo gave the Whimsicott a glance and focused on moving forwards. He hadn't said anything about the events in the lab since they'd left. But his demeanour showed he certainly hadn't forgotten it. He seemed... distant. Of course, that was understandable. He'd found out he once belonged to an evil organisation, was a test subject and was infected by a virus that gave him uncontrollable bouts of madness and memory loss.

Anyone would become distant after hearing about that.

Cleo grit her teeth. If she'd found out that about herself she'd be devastated. All in all, Mischief seemed to be handling it quite well.

Or maybe this was just the calm before the storm.

Once again they fell into silence. Spark trudged along beside Mischief, occasionally vanishing into a shrubbery. She'd decided to walk on ahead as an extra defence should they be ambushed. Being difficult to spot and easier to hide with her small size, she made an ideal lead in battle; one that was able to surprise their enemies.

The only sounds were those of their own breathing and the crunch of debris beneath their paws. All ears were pricked for any sound that would indicate a possible attack, their eyes straining against the thick shadows. Several times Cleo considered asking Spark to light the way to reveal anything that may be hiding, and several times she decided against it. It would be a disastrous mistake to make. She'd become a beacon, attracting their enemies like Mothim to a Combee hive.

They hadn't made much headway when something moving a few feet away froze them in their tracks.

Amongst the branches of a tree, something shifted and hopped across a couple of limbs. It was small and moved with the familiar jerky motions of a bird Pokemon.

Cleo licked her dry lips and glanced from side to side, looking for the nearest escape route. Everywhere was submerged in shadows.

Which meant they themselves were also submerged in shadows.

There was every possibility the Murkrow hadn't seen them. But they never travelled alone. One Murkrow meant there were at least five others somewhere, and it was often a lot more.

Cleo scanned the canopy, straining to spot any more movements. Nothing but leaves blowing in the breeze.

No wait... they weren't leaves.

She took a step sideways and edged through the trees, tiptoeing over the debris, desperate to not make a single sound. The others were following her movements. All except...

The tug at her wrist was followed by a dramatic fall. A snap of dry twigs and crunch of leaves sounded like an explosion in the drawn out silence.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion. She could almost feel the hundreds of sharp eyes all snap onto them. Harlequin's loud, faked cry added to their plight. If the Murkrow hadn't spotted them already, they certainly had now.

Cleo bolted through the trees, dragging the reluctant Zorua behind her. Harlequin kicked and screamed, crying out for help, drawing the Murkrow after them. Mischief ran on ahead while Spark covered her rear, the flash of Spark's electrical attacks occasionally illuminating the forest, taking out the Murkrow and lighting the way for them, revealing more of the birds swooping at them from ahead. Mischief fired off his sparkling attack, striking the Murkrow and knocking them to the ground. The dark birds fell like flies before they could even stick their beaks into them.

Cleo hopped over the fallen Pokemon, followed by a cry as Harlequin scraped herself across the sharp beaks and claws.

The Meowstic silently thanked their encounter with Mischief. If it were just her and Spark, they'd be impaled on wicked beaks by now. One at the back, one at the front. Their attacks burst through the thick cloud of birds, eradicating them en-mass.

The light from another discharge from Spark bounced off a stone surface mere feet away from them. Cleo braced herself to come to a halt and watched in disbelief as Mischief vanished between a thick wall of ivy. She picked up pace and followed after him, dry stone scraping against her fur and cutting into her skin. Harlequin wailed and struggled against her confines. Cleo finally came to a stop and looked back. Spark hopped over the Zorua's body and stood at Cleo's side, her large black eyes scanning the area.

Cleo was too preoccupied with Harlequin, standing against the wall and waiting until the Zorua finally struggled to her feet and wriggled through the narrow gap. She shot Cleo a venomous look then paused to look about herself.

Then it finally hit Cleo. They weren't in the forest any more. She looked around at the stone wall that surrounded them, spreading for acres. The wall was crumbling in places as nature took over, thick ivy and strangling plants dragging the wall down and dislodging stones, scattering them onto the ground where they lay dotted in small piles. In the distance Cleo could make out a tree which had grown at an elaborate angle and burst through the wall at some point in its life. Its branches stretched and curved towards the ground like a deep-green waterfall. In the dark it looked wildly unwelcoming.

The most striking thing about this area was the building that stood in the centre of it. A large stone structure, as equally crumbling and overgrown with plants as the wall. The building stood in sections, each one coming off from it at a right angle. It was squat with a flat roof that was trimmed with crenellations.

She tore her eyes away from the building and looked back with a start. The onslaught of Murkrow had stopped.

The sky above them was silent. Had they all been defeated?

"What is this place?"

It was Mischief who'd spoken. She turned to follow his gaze back to the large building.

"I..." She paused and scratched her ears. "I think it was an abbey."

"Really?" Spark glanced at her. "I've only heard about them in stories. Never seen one." She paused. "I didn't think they existed."

"Well by the looks of this building, it's ancient." Cleo ventured over to it and ran a paw gingerly over the cold surface, almost scared that it might fall down at any moment. It really was old. The smell of moss and rot rose from it. From the smell, there was clearly wood somewhere in its structure.

"I kinda want to go inside," said Spark. "The explorer in me is tingling with excitement."

'_Go inside..._' Cleo looked up at the building, the idea causing a war with her conscience. Sure, they could go inside and have a look, maybe shelter for the night. But there was also the distinct chance that dark Pokemon had already beaten them to it.

She looked back at her friends. "If we go inside, you have to be prepared to fight."

"Fight?" Harlequin snorted. "A fight might bring the entire building down!"  
"Good." Cleo turned and moved along the perimeter, searching for an entrance. "That means if any of your 'friends' are inside, they might not pick a fight with us."

A few feet along the wall revealed a door hidden behind a curtain of climbing ivy. Cleo brushed it aside to access the door handle... only to discover there wasn't one.

"Oh fantastic." Spark crossed her paws and huffed. "How are we meant to get in?"

"Maybe there's a doorknob on the other side?" Cleo suggested. She tapped a paw against a covered slat at eye level. "It seems this place had some level of security. Maybe they didn't make it easy for Pokemon to get inside without being investigated first?"

"Sure, that would make sense now, but how old is this building?"

"Look."

Their attention was drawn to Mischief, leaning over what at first glance seemed to be yet another plant. He looked up at them and beckoned them closer.

"There's a hole here." He stuffed his paw into a small hole beside the door. "Maybe we can get in through this?"

Cleo raised an eyebrow at him. "The only one of us who could fit through that hole is Spark."

Harlequin snorted. "So her size does come in use at times?"

"Oi!" Spark waved a tiny fist at the Zorua. "You've felt my electricity, so unless you want another dousing-"

"Spark!" Cleo cut the Dedenne off. "Twist her words to make it a compliment. Out of all of us here, your size is the advantage. If you can get in there then you can let us in."

"If she can reach the doorknob," Harlequin mumbled.

Spark turned on her. "I heard that!"

"Good." The Zorua turned two blue eyes on her. "Because I intended it."

Cleo let out an exasperated sigh. "Spark, just ignore her. I'm sure you could let us in."

"Erm..." Mischief raised a paw. "Or I could do it?"

"You?" The three other Pokemon looked at him.

Mischief nodded. "Yes. It saves argument. I won't be long."

He turned to the small hole and wriggled inside, his body distorting like a soft jelly, leaving behind wisps of downy fluff on the floor and wall. After he vanished out of sight, the wiry plant sprang back into place, scattering the dust into the air like dandelion seeds.

Spark blinked a couple of times. "I don't know whether to be impressed or weirded out."

They waited in silence as Mischief made his way round to the door and with a sharp snap of breaking vines and creaking wood, the door was slowly forced open. Mischief's orange eyes appeared in the shadows between the door and the wall and he smiled at them.

"It's quiet inside here."

Cleo didn't waste any time. She ushered Spark ahead of her and followed her inside with Harlequin slipping in last.

The little Dedenne stood on her tiptoes and sniffed the air, then sneezed. The sound was amplified by the vast space of what was once an entrance hall.

"Wow," she said. "It's dusty in here. Where's a Minccino when you need one?"

"Yes." Harlequin nodded. "And damp too. Not very good for your health really is it?"

Cleo ignored the Zorua's comment and narrowed her eyes to peer at what she thought might be a door on the far wall.

"Spark, do you think you could light it up a bit for us?"

"Sure!" With a flash, the Dedenne's body lit up with electricity causing them to shield their eyes from the sudden bright light. "Wow... this place really is ancient."

Cleo looked around in silent awe. Yes, it was ancient, but probably not as old as its exterior made it out to be. Heavy red curtains hung off the wall by the front door, which didn't have a doorknob. Instead it had a metal latch that fell into place and was pushed from the inside to swing out onto the courtyard. A window overgrown with ivy and weeds once supplied the room with natural light and opposite that hung a tapestry depicting a faded image of a glorious meadow with Pokemon frolicking amongst wild flowers. What struck her was the variety of Pokemon, all happily playing together – Eevee, Pikachu and Espurr running alongside Poochyena, Axew and Bagon. In the back sat under a tree was a Gardevoir and Altaria sharing drinks with a Shuppet. What really drew her eye was a hill in the back. Standing on top of it, submerged in sunlight, was a Pokemon she hadn't seen before. A stag who's antlers seemed to radiate light.

"Whoa." Spark's voice snapped Cleo's attention back to reality. "You just wouldn't find that in this day and age, would you?"

"No."

"And who's that Pokemon in the back?"

"I don't know." Cleo tore herself away from the tapestry and paced along the hall, pausing briefly as Harlequin stalled behind her. She glanced back to find Mischief and Harlequin still staring at the tapestry.

Mischief seemed to notice her stare and glanced at her.

"Is this..." He paused. "Is this what life used to be like?"

Cleo shrugged. "Apparently. Or some Pokemon's view of what the world should be like. I don't remember it." She looked away to take in more of the hallway. Other than the tapestry there wasn't much to see. "Spark and I were born in this war. This is all we know."

"Yup," Spark quipped. "All we know is division. You won't find many psychic Pokemon let alone a Gardevoir anywhere. They were the first to be wiped out." She sighed. "And the idea of being friends with dark or dragon types? It's nothing more than an idealistic fantasy."

Harlequin snorted. "There are divisions amongst those as well, you're just too blind to see it."

All eyes snapped to the Zorua and Spark literally sparked.

"Blind?!"

Harlequin fixed one blue eye on them. "Were you even listening to that Meowstic Heretic? He told you about the outlaws."

"Oh..." Cleo nodded. "He mentioned them but I've never heard of them."

"The outcasts are rebels!" Harlequin snapped. "It's not surprising you've never heard of them since you're so involved in your own personal Guild affairs! You talk about how this is a war, of divisions and how certain types have been pushed to extinction, but there are divisions in the Shadow Lands too! Families and friendships have been fractured, pushing some Pokemon out from the walls to live in hiding in the borders because they're also unwelcome on Guild territory! Idealistic fantasy indeed..." She snorted. "What you're clearly too blind to see is that in the Shadow Lands it's either obey, run for your life, or die!"

The other three Pokemon stood staring at the Zorua. Her breaths were coming in quick bursts as she tried to suppress built up hysteria.

"Then..." Spark ventured. "Why don't you just run?"

Harlequin's sapphire glare shot to the Dedenne. "Because then I'd be living like you! Scared of every little shadow, trying to hide all the time! I might be a Zorua, but illusion is tiring. I can't use it indefinitely. And unlike you, I actually look different to others of my kind. I stand out." She looked back at the tapestry then tore her eyes away, screwing them shut and striding past Cleo."An ideal world... it's nothing but some artist's fantasy. Not even worth latching on to."

The others exchanged glances.

"We hadn't," Spark said flatly.

"It's fiction, okay!" Harlequin snapped. "Just... shut up..."

They stood in momentary silence, watching Harlequin cautiously. She stood with her back to them, her head held low, still warring with some kind of emotional turmoil.

"Okay." Cleo paused and looked away. "We shall."

Spark cleared her throat and drew the Meowstic's attention. "Are you still wanting a look around this place?"

Cleo nodded. "Yes. I think there's a door over there." She pointed at the far wall.

Another of those heavy red curtains was hanging suspiciously from it. From the length of it, it was likely a door but could easily have been a window. But from the shape of the building outside, Cleo doubted it was the latter. She moved over to it, dragging Harlequin with her. The Zorua didn't even mutter a sound.

With a sweep of her paw, Cleo brushed the curtain aside and revealed a heavy, iron door engraved with a large X, the top of which was designed to resemble the horns of a stag. Around it were engravings of Altaria singing jovially.

"What is this place?" Spark asked.

Cleo didn't hesitate. With a hefty shove, the door split down the middle to swing inwards. The room beyond was immediately filled with light from the Dedenne's small body. They strode into the room, decorated with yet more tapestries and at the far end between two narrow windows hung a massive painting of the stag they'd seen in the entrance hall. Dusty mats were lay in neat rows along the walls.

Spark's jaw dropped and she said again, "What is this place?!"

The tapestries here depicted a long story sequence of a world ravaged by war. The first section showed hundreds of Pokemon fleeing from a town under attack from a dark army led by a red and black bird Pokemon. The following sequence showed the victims being captured and the ones who refused were slaughtered. After that, the captured Pokemon then became consumed by darkness, forced to join the bird's ranks.

A handful of Pokemon had escaped, and a little light touched them. Standing before them was the stag, radiating light. These Pokemon had turned away from the darkness, but now were able to fight off their pursuers.

The stag amassed an army of light, giving his followers the power to defeat this darkness. The attacks in the paintings were reminiscent of the ones Cleo had seen Mischief use. Some of the stag's followers wore odd stones that caused them to transform and become more powerful, taking down foes twice their size.

The dark bird was furious and returned with his own army, throwing himself into the thick of battle. The final section showed the bird being defeated by the stag. The words below this square were the only words on the tapestry:

'Yvel is defeated by the X'

The large painting of the stag was framed in gold and engraved beneath it was what could be assumed was his name – 'Xerneas'.

The opposite tapestry showed different stages of the world being filled with light. Each picture showed more and more Pokemon playing together, each one overlooked by Xerneas. These images themselves seemed to radiate tranquillity and hope. Cleo couldn't deny she felt moved by them. Was there... hope that this could be the world they lived in? There could be an end to this war?

"Is he real?"  
Mischief's voice snapped her out of her reverie and she looked at him.

"Xerneas," Mischief explained. "Is he real?"

Cleo was suddenly aware she'd been wondering the same thing. She looked back at the tapestries in closer detail, trying to find some evidence that these pictures might be portraits of a time once past.

"I dunno," said Spark. "But it's nice to think, isn't it?"

Harlequin was oddly silent. Cleo glanced at her. The Zorua was frozen to the spot, her head turning left and right as she seemed to be comparing the two tapestries. A combination of confusion and fear was written in her eyes.

"I've never heard of these two Pokemon," Cleo said. "I don't know what that black bird is called, but never in my life have I heard the name 'Xerneas' anywhere."  
"Me neither." Spark turned back to the story on the war and craned her neck to look up at it. "Don't those stones look familiar though?"

Cleo followed the Dedenne's stare. The odd stones the Pokemon were wearing were indeed familiar. Round and clear with coloured stripes twisting up the centre of them. A loud yell caused Spark and Cleo to almost leap out of their skin. They span round to face the source.

Harlequin was staring at the same picture, her eyes wide with shock. She span to examine her own body then rounded on Mischief.

"It's gone! You lost it!"

Mischief pointed to himself. "Me?"

"My bag!" Harlequin fell to the floor and placed her paws over her head. "You lost it!"

Cleo instinctively looked down at herself then sighed. Of course. The Heretics had taken them when they'd been captured. They'd been too busy fleeing the burning building to think about grabbing their belongings.

"It had..." Harlequin looked back up at the picture then closed her eyes and let out a pained groan, tears flowing over the fur of her cheeks. "It was all I had left and now it's gone!"

Cleo stared down at the Zorua, speechless. That odd orb that had roused such suspicious behaviour from her... was really nothing more than a memento? She looked back at the image of the transforming Pokemon, each one wearing a similar stone.

A memento...

If these pictures did indeed hold some truth to them, then that stone was more valuable than even Harlequin was aware.

She looked back down at the sobbing Zorua. "Harlequin... do you really not know what that stone is?"

The Zorua's blue eyes snapped open, sudden fury filling them.

"Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you!"

Cleo shook her head and sighed. "Very well. Let's see if there's anything else in this place."

She strode from the room, Spark skipping past her to illuminate the way. As Mischief closed the door, a dreamy expression seemed to cross his face.

"He's truly amazing isn't he?"

Cleo looked back at the door with it's large 'X' embellishment. "Xerneas?"

"Yes." Mischief nodded. "To defeat an evil foe like that so easily and then fill the world with light... pretty amazing."

Cleo mulled this over. In a world like this one, full of pain, war and suffering, it caused her to wonder if such a story had been made to give the Pokemon that lived here hope.

Then there was those stones... stones she'd never seen before, and Harlequin carried one around. Was that stone from this abbey, or was it a mere coincidence?

Or was it a sign that this story was actually...

She turned from the door and turned right down the hallway. Spark had to trot to take over her as she was just walking blindly through the shadows. The light spread out before them, lighting up walls dotted here and there with pictures of random, peaceful-living Pokemon and profiles and sculptures of Xerneas. They passed several doors, but opening them just revealed empty rooms that would have been used as sleeping areas.

Every room and hallway in this massive abbey was empty save for the odd sculpture and decoration.

They had no idea how long they'd been exploring the place. They reached the hallway again and Cleo gave one last look around it, deep in thought.

No dark Pokemon, Not a single one.

What had happened here to cause it to become so empty and desolate?

Why hadn't the Murkrow followed them in? The only logical answer she had to that one was they'd defeated them all.

Spark stretched and let out a loud yawn. "Shall we sleep here then? I'm exhausted."

Cleo nodded slowly. "I think it's safe enough to."

"No." Harlequin shook her head. "I want to leave."

Spark snorted. "Because none of your cronies can find you in here and cause us any bother?"

Harlequin said nothing. She was looking away from them, down at the floor. Something had bothered her. Her revelation earlier, or the loss of that strange stone... whatever it was, Cleo knew if she asked she wouldn't get a straight answer.

"Look," she said, "it's safe here. And quiet. Let's get a good night's sleep and be off at sunrise."

They turned into the corridor again and slipped into the first room they found. It was once a cozy little sleeping room with an old, stagnant pile of hay at the side of the room. Cleo didn't feel right to move it. Instead she flopped to the floor beside it and looked at Mischief and Spark in turn.

"Who'll take first watch?"

"Me." Spark stood up and moved to the open door. "I'll only be grumpy if someone wakes me later. I might as well stay awake for longer."

"Okay." Cleo yawned. "Just don't fall asleep on us, okay?"

"No promises."

Cleo lay back on the cold floor and stared at the ceiling. Engraved upon it was the pattern of a sun, its rays reaching out to touch the sides of the room. Whoever had built this abbey hadn't overlooked a thing. So much care and detail had gone into this places décor, creating what once would have been a tranquil, happy environment. She could almost hear the joyful voices of its former occupants, almost see them bustling down the hallways going about their peaceful days.

She closed her eyes, letting that image occupy her mind as she was lulled to sleep.

...

Harlequin couldn't sleep, instead pacing back and forth as much as the ridiculous collar would allow. The Dedenne didn't appear to notice this. She probably didn't care, likely had fallen asleep.

Good.

Outside.

Outside was what Harlequin wanted.

To be somewhere familiar.

It wasn't that the building was bad. The building was confusing.

The Zorua put both paws on the windowsill and peered out. It was still night time. Still dark. With perfect night vision, Harlequin could make out all of the courtyard – the spindly weeds, the crumbling wall, the stars that dotted the sky between thick clouds black in the night sky.

Something moved to the left of the courtyard, drawing the Zorua's attention to it. It moved with graceful movements and with every step, green plants dotted with colour sprang up around its feet. It stopped to look at Harlequin, its large antlers framed with a light that seemed to chase away any shadows from the courtyard.

A stag.

Almost instantly, it faded from view.

But it had been there. Those vibrant plants and little flowers stayed, marking the path the stag had taken.

Wordlessly, Harlequin slipped back down from the window into a crumpled heap on the floor.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	20. Run

**A/N - Woo! I managed to get this up in time. After a busy day, I was worried I'd be too tired and unmotivated. But here it is! **

**Thanks to all new reviews and faves! =D I do read all reviews!**

**The side stories are coming along well, but one of them is a little longer than a one-shot... if you've not subscribed, but are interested in a load of background fluff, then do subscribe so you know when I get around to uploading them =)**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

20 – Run

Harbinger was not impressed.

He scurried through the shadows the trees provided, clutching two bags in his jaws by the straps.

He was certain they belonged to the Pokemon he'd seen be captured by the Heretics. One bag sported a Guild badge, and the other which he'd assumed belonged to the Whimsicott had the sharp smell of poisons to it.

His nose crinkled in disgust. It certainly had not belonged to the Whimsicott but to that Zorua that accompanied them.

The one that had been crying for help.

A prisoner to the Guild.

Harbinger was beginning to question his sanity, returning such a bag. He should just cast it aside and trash it. The Zorua worked for Hydreigon after all. A Pokemon he hated with a passion.

He hated all who worked for such a monster.

And here he was returning their bag.

He was such an idiot. They'd be powerless without it. But something was driving him to return it. Something he didn't understand.

A nagging voice in his conscience.

He grimaced and choked on the stench of various toxins. Surely this could only result in disaster?

...

Cleo stepped outside into the abbey's courtyard, followed quickly by Spark who yawned and stretched widely.

"Ahh! I slept like a log!" She licked her lips. "I'm hungry now. Where's the closest breakfast?"

Cleo shrugged. "Well we've lost our bag."

Spark waved her arms in despair. "Don't remind my stomach of such a fate!" She paused and looked over at Harlequin. "What? No nasty retort?"

Harlequin was staring at the ground with a worried, fearful expression in her eyes. Tiny, colourful flowers were poking up from a trail of vibrant green leaves.

Spark ventured over to her and looked from the flowers to the Zorua.

"They're wild flowers," the Dedenne said bluntly.

Harlequin shot her a glare. "I know."

"Then why are you staring at them as though they've done you a great injustice?"

"They..." Harlequin looked away and strolled towards Cleo. "They just weren't there yesterday, that's all."

"Flowers do that." Spark hopped up onto Cleo's shoulder and they moved on across the courtyard. "They pop up randomly, splashing the world with awesome colour! I love flowers. They're so spontaneous."

Harlequin grinned. "And it doesn't bother you that it's almost the cold season?"

"Hmm." Spark was thoughtful. "Maybe it's a late blooming variety."

"Really? It's been pretty cold recently. Too cold for flowers to start popping up."

Spark crossed her paws. "Not necessarily. Some grow in winter."

Mischief zipped past them and hopped into a small tree. "I found us breakfast!"

"Oh fantastic!" Spark leapt off Cleo's shoulder and stood beneath the tree with her paws open. "Throw one at me!"

A large berry dropped from the tree and Spark caught it, stumbling back slightly. A look of pure elation spread across her little face.

"They're cheri berries! My favourite!" She took a huge bite out of it and sat down.

Mischief swung down from the tree, cradling several berries in his arms. "I got enough for all of us I think."

Harlequin snorted. "You're gonna need extra for short and dumpy there." She nodded at Spark.

The Zorua was instantly engulfed in a surge of electricity. Her fur stood on end and she flopped to the floor.

Cleo handed Harlequin a berry. "Fortunately cheri's heal paralysis."

Once they'd eaten, they moved on out of the abbey. In the far wall stood an old rusty gate, the stone crumbling around it. Attempting to open the gate caused loose stones to fall free, clattering to the floor around them. The gate eventually creaked open and they slipped out, pausing to examine their new surroundings.

They now stood in an open plane – not quite a moor or a meadow but something in between. The grass was lush and green, growing in thick clumps in places with the occasional overgrown weed and thistle patch. Odd trees dotted the plane, congregating mostly in the distance to the right and left and heavy bramble bushes laden with berries grew alongside them. As Cleo gave it thought, the bushes and trees may have provided an orchard for the abbey.

As they stepped out, a cool surface reached her paw pads. Unnoticed at first was a stone path leading away from the abbey, almost entirely hidden by long grass and stiff shoots growing out from between the cracks.

Cleo was slightly hesitant. Without a map she didn't know where they were going. This area was entirely unfamiliar and they could be heading in anywhere right now. She shrugged it off and kept moving. The only way to find out was to venture on. Hopefully they'd find an Outcast town before long.

They moved on, sticking to the stone path at first until it wound off towards one of the fruit-laden orchards.

"It's a pity we don't have our bag," said Spark. "We could have stocked up."

"I agree," said Cleo. "But sadly, this is the case."

"I'm going to miss that abbey," said Mischief suddenly. "It felt welcoming and safe."

Spark looked back at him. "Despite falling to bits, it did feel oddly safe."

"And I liked the stories," he went on. "They made the world feel a little less dark for a while."

Cleo looked back at him. He was walking slowly behind them, out of reach of Harlequin. He seemed sombre still. However, being more willing to speak was a good sign, she hoped.

And he was still with them. Had he forgiven her for not telling him all she'd found out about him?

She tore herself away and focused once more on moving forwards. This was an open plane, and in the dark would prove to be equally, if not more so, dangerous than hiding in a forest.

Something arced through the air towards them and the four Pokemon scattered, Harlequin falling flat on her face as she ran a step too far. With a soft thud, two bags lay on the ground where they'd been standing. Cleo did a small double-take. The bags looked familiar. Surely they couldn't be...

"Aha!" Spark had clambered into one and came out carrying a rolled up scroll. She unfurled it to reveal a map, scrawled with red crosses and names of Outcast towns. "It's our map!"

"So this is..." Cleo picked up the tan bag and looked inside. Sure enough, there was her coin pouch still full of coins, several berries, the stone she'd confiscated off Harlequin, and there on the strap was her Guild badge.

Then the other bag...

She span to look at it, but in its place stood a very cross looking Zorua. She was snarling at Mischief who'd snatched the bag in time. Cleo let out a silent sigh of relief.

"Let me check inside!" Harlequin barked. "I want to know if it's okay!"  
"And poison us?" Mischief cocked his head on one side. "This bag does have poisons in it."

"Harlequin?"

The Zorua span to face Cleo. "What?!"

Cleo held up her paw, and hanging from it was the strange stone still held between the copper ring. Harlequin's eyes widened with a brief joy before fixing on Cleo's with blind fury.

"So you stole it!"

"No, you just forgot I had it." Cleo slipped it back into her bag.

The Zorua snarled. "You enjoy this don't you? Just give it back!"

Cleo stared at Harlequin. She remembered that look of despair when she discovered she'd lost her bag. Her words: '_It's all I had left..._'

When Cleo had fled her home, all she had was Spark. No memento of her family, nothing but memories and the horrific mental image of a blazing fire. Then there was Harlequin, clutching on to an odd little stone with some unknown personal meaning.

Was it really just a memento?

She slipped her paw back into her bag and pulled out the stone, letting it dangle once more in the Zorua's reach.

Harlequin lunged forwards and snatched it between her jaws. Cleo let the thong slip out of her paws effortlessly. A look of alarm swiftly replaced Harlequin's rage-filled eyes and the stone dropped from her mouth to the floor with a thunk.

"Y-you're giving it back?"

"It's yours," Cleo said flatly. "It clearly means a lot to you."

"Yes. It does." Harlequin picked up the stone by the string and slipped it over her neck, letting it hang down just below her chest. She was silent for a moment then without looking at Cleo mumbled, "Thank you."

Cleo felt a jolt of surprise. Spark even dropped the berry she'd been holding.

"You're welcome." Cleo turned away and led them onward.

They walked in silence for a while, making slow progress over the thick grass. They kept managing to get their paws tangled in the thin, stringy roots of some invisible weed clearly hidden in the vast expanse of grass. The blades came up to Cleo's waist. It stretched on for miles, showing no sign of letting up.

"I really don't know what it is." Harlequin's voice broke the silence and Cleo glanced down at her.

The Zorua was walking at her side, her head kept low.

"Huh?"

"The stone," Harlequin explained. "I don't know what it is, it's just a keep sake."

"I gathered that," said Cleo.

"From a friend," she went on. "I keep it for memories. If it's special like those pictures showed, I've no idea."

"Must be nice," said Mischief from behind them. "I don't have anything like that. Not even memories."

Harlequin looked back at him. She seemed to be about to say something but a look of terror crossed her face and her ears twitched.

Cleo froze, straining her ears to pick up whatever had startled the Zorua.

Ringing.

A chiming bell, jingling just audible over the sound of grass rustling in the breeze.

She'd never heard it before, but all Guild members needed to be aware of such a sound. The bell meant only one thing.

Enigma.

The wise thing to do would be to run, but run where? Nothing that cast a shadow was safe. Trees, buildings, even their own shadows... nothing.

She twisted and turned, straining to spot the slightest movement. Then... they'd run the other way.

"Well, what do you know. I found you."

A chill ran down her spine and she turned, along with the rest of the Pokemon, to look behind them, back the way they came.

Standing grinning at them was a Banette wearing a heavy, black scarf. He looked at each Pokemon in turn, his grin growing wider.

"Four little Pokemon out in the open with nowhere to hide... you make this too easy for me."

Harlequin's blue eyes widened and she stuttered. "Four?! Enigma, I'm not with them!"

The Banette's smile faltered as he looked down at Harlequin. "Then what are you doing, Harle? _Leading_ them to Hydreigon?"

"I'm not with them by choice!" Harlequin barked.

A fleeting thought passed through Cleo's mind – say nothing. If he thinks Harlequin's betrayed Hydreigon and takes her out, it's one less assassin to worry about. But for some reason, the words that came out of her mouth had other ideas.

"We don't really care for your presence either, Harlequin."

"Not remotely!" Spark quipped. "She's felt my electricity enough times due to her stinking attitude."

Harlequin shot Spark a vicious glare.

Enigma snorted. "Yet you've stuck by them all this way?"

"I've been forced to!" The Zorua yelled.

This was it. While he was distracted, this was their chance. Enigma was purely a ghost type, so he didn't resist Cleo's psychic attacks. She, however, was weak against his. She had to time this carefully.

Enigma visibly sighed.

"You should know me better than this, Enigma, we've been friends for years!"

"Enough!" He snapped, causing Harlequin to leap back a step. The Banette chuckled, hiding his face in one paw. "You're delusional. What ever made you think we were friends?"

Harlequin's jaw dropped and she stood, speechless, staring back at Enigma. The look in her eyes was one Cleo hadn't seen before. Wounded. Her blue eyes had welled up with tears which she tried to blink back.

_Now._ Cleo prepared herself to launch a confusion, but in the time it took her to unfurl her ears, the Banette vanished into the ground. In the next instant, a sharp, searing pain shot up her back and she wailed, crumpling to the floor like a sack of hay.

"Cleo!" Spark cried.

The Dedenne fired a jolt of electricity at Enigma but it just struck empty ground alongside a flash from a green energy ball. He popped up again behind Spark with the same sneak attack, raking her back with his claws. He followed this with a effortless flick of his wrist, sending Spark bowling tail over head through the long grass.

He nimbly dodged another energy ball fired from Mischief and with the same vanishing movement avoided that new purple light attack. Mischief let out a cry as Enigma struck him but he didn't go down. He turned to face the Banette but was sent flying backwards as a shadow ball struck him point blank in the stomach.

Enigma turned his wild eyes onto Harlequin. The Zorua turned to run away and stumbled at the end of her confines. Enigma vanished into the ground and popped up in front of her, lunging at her and pinning her to the ground.

"Enigma, no!" She cried. "You know I'm not your enemy!"  
She flinched as his claws touched her neck, but he wasn't going for the kill. He pawed through her fur and latched on to the collar. Her eyes snapped open to look at him.

"What are you doing?"

"Freeing you!"

He pulled at the device, twisting it around to try and find an opening, his face twisted with confusion.

"No." Harlequin shook her head. "Only the Meowstic can remove it."

Enigma mumbled something under his breath and stood up, staring down at Harlequin, his expression serious. He raised his claws and they radiated with an eerie black light.

"Sorry, Harle. I'm going to have to destroy it."

She screwed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the inevitable impact.

A shrill cry filled the air and her eyes snapped open again. She flipped herself onto her feat and stared in horror as Enigma went rolling backwards, trying to wrestle off a crazed Whimsicott.

"No!" She cried. "Get off him!"  
The Whimsicott let out an explosion of maniacal, high-pitched laughter and pinned Enigma to the ground, striking him a few times with his paws. Enigma tried to defend himself by rolling the Whimsicott off him, but it was in vain. His last ditch attempt was to reduce his density and slip away.

But it failed.

A look off horror filled his eyes as the Whimsicott's attacks still struck him. He was still trapped under the maniacal monster's body.

Harlequin tore her eyes from the bloody scene and rounded on Cleo's crumpled form.

"Oi! Get up! He's going to kill him!"

No response. Her cries fell on deaf ears. She turned and ran in the direction she'd seen the Dedenne roll, but she was forced to stop, almost falling flat on her face.

"Spark!" She wailed. "Do something! Paralyse him, get him off!" She gasped, glancing back at Enigma's futile attempts to remove the Whimsicott.

He was giving up.

Harlequin flinched and ran back to the fallen Meowstic. "Cleo! Help!" She closed her eyes and blinked back tears. It was hopeless.

A flash caused her to look up. Cleo had pushed herself up and had trapped the Whimsicott in a field of psychic energy, lifting him from the Banette's beaten body.

Cleo took a deep, pained breath and steadied herself on her paw, fixing Enigma with a warning glare. "Run."

Enigma pushed himself to his feet and without looking back, warped away.

Cleo knew she couldn't hold Mischief for long. She wanted to wait until Enigma was out of view, but her strength failed and she fell back, letting Mischief drop to the floor. The last noise to reach her ears was an enraged shriek.

...

Harbinger had watched the horrific scene unfold as he worked his way around the plane, keeping himself out of sight. He thought that Banette would have gone down in that battle, but the Meowstic had been foolish enough to spare him.

Now the Whimsicott had its eyes on the Meowstic.

The Zorua stood in front of her, his canines bared at the crazed Pokemon.

So he was willing to give his life? Noble for an assassin.

Harbinger ventured out of his hiding spot and in two nimble bounds stood a mere two feet away, crouching in the long grass. He opened his mouth and fired a pulse of dark blue energy at the Whimsicott, striking it in the back of the head.

That got its attention.

It turned to face him as he made his presence briefly aware. He turned and bounded away, the Whimsicott hot on his trail.

Whether or not the Zorua had seen him... he'd deal with that later.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	21. Schemes and Separation

**A/N - I really need to work more on this main story. I should stop writing one-shots and make some headway before I catch up on here! Especially if I want to keep uploading twice a week...**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

21 – Schemes and Separation

The vast plane stretched on for what felt like miles with rapidly failing strength. Enigma was forced to halt when the dreadful pain in his chest commanded him to stop running. He clutched a paw to his ribs and tried to steady his breathing as he searched his surroundings for what he needed.

Somewhere quiet to lie low for a while.

And berries.

Every Pokemon's go-to for the nutrients they provided. If he wanted to recover, he needed to keep up his strength.

Not that he liked berries, but they were easy to come by.

One would think.

Ahead of him was nothing, just more grass and sharp, unwelcoming thistles growing thickly between the blades. Beyond that, in the distance, he could make out the edge of a wooded area. He strained to look behind him, staggering back as he lost his balance. Back the way he came lay a few scattered bushes. Brambles with lumpy berries on them. That would have to do.

He staggered forward a few paces when something else caught his eye. A large tree stood a few feet beyond the brambles, and hanging off its thick branches were round, yellow sitrus berries.

Perfect.

With the last burst of strength he could muster, he warped into the branches and sat back against the trunk, grabbing one of the fat berries. He didn't even bother to peel it. The first bite filled his mouth with a sour, tart juice and he grimaced, forcing himself to swallow it. Something sharp caught in his throat, and his body racked with a violent choke causing a stab of pain to shoot through the right of his chest. He caught the offensive item in his claws and leered at it.

Stupid seeds.

He dropped it to the floor and stared at the remains of the berry, resigning himself to finish it and be more careful this time.

As he took another, smaller mouthful, he finally took the time to examine himself. He was bleeding, but he wasn't sure from where. His torso was riddled with dark patches and a deep purple was visible under his smokey grey fur, especially on the right side. He was sure something was broken.

Oh well. It would heal.

He'd just have to go non-combat for a while.

He couldn't see his own face, but he could feel a bruise had developed by his left eye. He'd managed to fend off enough head attacks from that violent Whimsicott, as such his arms were black and blue.

That Whimsicott.

He finished the berry and grimaced, not from the flavour, but from the effort to turn his head and look back the way he'd come.

That Whimsicott was the one that had killed Boomer. He hadn't known what to expect, but the expression it wore was one he'd only seen once before. Seen very recently.

It was the exact same one that Tyranitar had worn.

Madness. Insanity.

Rio had been keeping it in his lab, like some wild pet.

That Whimsicott must have come from the Heretics.

Which meant the ones to blame for Boomer's death weren't the Outcasts. It was the Heretics.

They'd unleashed such a monster, and it was travelling free with the Outcasts and Harlequin.

Harlequin...

Enigma closed his eyes and flinched.

He'd ran, leaving that thing behind. Harlequin and the other two Pokemon were likely dead by now.

He'd ran like a coward.

He took another berry from the tree and stared at it. With a sigh he let his arm drop to his side. There was nothing he could do. He couldn't fight that thing. Its attacks still managed to hit him when he'd tried to slip away. No standard attacks could hit him when he faded. So it was using some strange attack he hadn't recognised.

He almost jumped at the thought.

No... it couldn't be that new type Rio was talking about? He'd said it was purple light, but the Whimsicott had just pounded him, repeatedly. Over and over with a wild hysteria. If you removed the insanity, it was reminiscent of the way young Pokemon would play. Childish and normally futile, but this had been a crazed and insanely powerful attack that he couldn't escape from.

No wonder Boomer had been reduced to such a pitiful state.

Enigma covered his face with one paw and laughed, the pain causing him to flinch with the effort. It was so obvious now. Rio had been hiding something from him, and he could safely bet the sly Meowstic knew that Whimsicott.

The Tyranitar, the madness... it all added up.

The Heretics were up to something and he was going to find out what.

...

"Aww, come on! Get up, get up, get up!"

Harlequin paced back and forth beside the fallen Meowstic, growing increasingly impatient. That Whimsicott had long since vanished, leaving his friends lying there as though they were nothing to him.

"Oi." Spark stumbled backwards through the grass, dragging something heavy over the tangle of spindly roots. "I found your bag."

"Ah!" Harlequin skipped over to her then stopped short as the collar snapped sharply backwards. "So he didn't run off with it."

"Nope." Spark turned to face the Zorua. "So, what do you want out of this?"  
"I know what I'm looking for, just bring it here."

"No way!" Spark crossed her paws. "There's poisons in this bag. How am I meant to know you're not just gonna stuff some poison down Cleo's throat?"

Harlequin snarled. "Because it wouldn't benefit me!"

"You'd have one less Pokemon to worry about."

"Yes, and I'd be stuck to the spot with a dead weight! Or did you forget only she can remove this collar?!"

"Hmm." Spark twitched her nose thoughtfully. "Good point. All right." She dragged the bag closer to Harlequin. "Find what you're looking for."

Spark watched as Harlequin pawed through the bag, dragging out various berries and dried meat. The Dedenne's mouth watered involuntarily as one stopped by her paw. With a jovial 'aha!', Harlequin stepped back with a green herb hanging from her mouth, dotted with orange flowers.

"What's that?" Spark snorted.

"A bitter herb," Harlequin explained. "Nasty stuff. This ought to wake her up." She turned to Cleo and paused. "Want to lend a paw?"

"Sure." Spark skipped over and took the herb from Harlequin. "Mind if I have a berry after? That pecha looks rather tasty."

Harlequin shrugged. "Whatever."

Spark hopped onto Cleo's chest and with both paws stuffed the bitter herb into her mouth. It had the desired effect. Cleo immediately sputtered and sat up so quickly she sent Spark tumbling back off her.

"What on earth...?!" Cleo wiped the back of her paw over her mouth.

"She's up!" Spark cheered.

Cleo let out a huge sigh and reached for her bag. "How long was I out?"

"Too long!" Said Spark. "When I came too, Harlequin was panicking and I was out for long enough."

Cleo found an oran berry in her bag and took a bite out of it. "And Mischief?"

"Long gone." Spark gathered the pink pecha berry and sat by Cleo's side, tucking into its sweet flesh.

Cleo's eyes widened. "He's gone?!"

"Yes," Harlequin snarled. "Something attacked him so he turned and took off after it."

"Did you see what it was?"

"No. It vanished before I got the chance."

Harlequin looked away from her. Cleo felt she had more to say, but whatever it was it never came. She sighed and finished her oran berry.

"Well, we need to go after him."

Harlequin looked at her. "Enigma?"

"No," Cleo said flatly. "Mischief."

Harlequin made a snort of derision. "Why?!"

"Because he's our friend and he might need help."

"Enigma's _my_ friend and he _does_ need help!" Harlequin stood up and glared at her. "You saw what that monster you call a friend was doing to him!"

"Hmm." Spark licked berry juice off her paws. "Friend you say? I honestly didn't get that impression."

"Shut up!" Harlequin span and snapped her jaws at Spark. The Dedenne just managed to leap out of the way and hopped onto the other side of Cleo.

"Hey!" Cleo stood up suddenly and flinched at the pain in her back. She gave Harlequin a hard glare. "There'll be none of that."

"None of..." Harlequin growled. "If she comes within range again I'll bite off her puny head!"

Spark hopped onto Cleo's shoulder and waved her fist at the Zorua. "And if you even attempt that, I'll fry your insides!"

"Stop arguing!" Cleo's voice cut sharp through the din bringing both Pokemon to silence. She looked down at Harlequin, that wounded expression back on her face. Spark had clearly struck a nerve. "Look, Harlequin... friends argue. He probably didn't mean what he said."

Harlequin glanced up at her then shook her head sharply. "I don't know. I've known him for years and even I can't figure him out."

"But I will say this, Harlequin." Cleo narrowed her eyes. "Like you, he's not _our_ friend. He's our _enemy_, and I am not going to put Spark or myself at risk by looking for a wounded assassin."

Harlequin turned her livid blue eyes onto Cleo. "Then let me go and look for him."

"No. You're our prisoner. I don't imagine if the tables were turned and Spark was injured that you'd let me go and look for her, would you?" She paused, returning Harlequin's glare with a calm expression. "Sorry, but this is war."

She turned away and paused. Mischief was gone, and the only Pokemon that had witnessed this was Harlequin. Both Cleo and Spark had no idea which direction Mischief had taken. She had some idea which way Enigma ran, but as far as she was aware, Mischief could have ran in the same direction.

Unless whatever had distracted him had intended to keep him away from Enigma and Harlequin. There was no saying that whoever rescued them was on the Guild's side.

"I'm going to take a long shot here," said Cleo. "Which way did Mischief run?"

Harlequin laughed. "Oh! You're stuck! You have to ask me." The Zorua gave her a wicked grin. "I could tell you anything, couldn't I?"

...

Harbinger sat patiently by the unconscious Whimsicott. They'd managed to reach the edge of the plane when he suddenly collapsed. He'd never seen anything like this and it puzzled him.

He'd seen this Whimsicott with the other Pokemon, following them around often silently and other times leading the way. Again, often silently. He didn't look like a dangerous Pokemon. His expression was often friendly, or confused. At first glance one would never think that this Pokemon was remotely dangerous, nor had the tendency to suddenly snap like that.

Harbinger frowned. So this is how it worked. The Heretic's mutated Pokerus virus. It took an innocent Pokemon, and turned it into a monster, just like he'd read in those documents. The Pokemon battled, then snapped, collapsed and had no memory of it.

No... monster wasn't the right word. It wasn't fair to call an innocent Pokemon a monster.

A victim maybe. A victim of madness.

The poor Pokemon couldn't even defend his friends without putting them in danger from himself.

Wait.

Harbinger clenched his teeth and growled. He was showing pity to another Pokemon? He was going soft.

A murmur came from between the Whimsicott's lips and his eyes fluttered open, focusing on the Absol briefly before he pushed himself up. His orange eyes widened as he looked around sharply.

"Where am I? Where's Cleo?"

There it was. Memory loss.

"They're back that way." Harbinger nodded behind the confused Whimsicott. "I don't know if they're still there or not, however."

The Absol stood up and turned away. He'd told Scratch and Claw to go on ahead. They'd be in the Endless Woods by now.

"Wait."

He looked back at the Whimsicott. He sat fixing him with his confused eyes.

"What?" Harbinger demanded.

"Why aren't I with them any more? When I wake up I'm normally with them, or in a medical ward at least..." The Whimsicott trailed off, realisation dawning on his face.

"I saved them," said Harbinger. "From you. You'd gone mad."

"Mad..." The Whimsicott put his head in his paws and groaned. "Great... so I attacked them. I thought... that ghost Pokemon attacked them... the one that jingles."

"Enigma," Harbinger growled. "You almost killed him." He paused and continued heading towards the woods. "And what a great thing it would be if you had."

"No!" The Whimsicott stood up, his voice freezing Harbinger in his tracks. "I don't want to kill other Pokemon! It would be a terrible thing if I'd killed him!"  
"He would probably have killed _you_. He's an assassin. Or to put it bluntly... a heartless murderer."

"It's still not fair! Pokemon can change! I was told that once by Rose, and I believe her."

Harbinger blinked at the Whimsicott. He stood there, staring at him as though awaiting a response. Harbinger had no idea who this Rose was, but the idea of Pokemon changing was absurd. He'd been in the Shadow Lands, and he'd been outside them. The Darkness killed and the Outcasts ran. The Heretics... well... they do what Heretics do. And as for Absol... they just stay away.

"Believe what you want," he said boredly. "I'm leaving. You can go back to your friends."

"I can't."

"Nonsense." Harbinger kept moving forwards, but not a single footstep resounded from the Whimsicott. With a sigh of exasperation at his own actions, he looked back. He was just standing there, looking down at his paws, clearly not sure what to do with himself. "What now?!"  
"I can't go back!" The Whimsicott wailed. "What if I hurt them?"

Harbinger narrowed his eyes. "Think of it this way. At least you _have_ friends."

The Whimsicott stared back at him with another confused expression which Harbinger was growing rather frustrated with.

"Did they already know this about you?" Harbinger asked.

The Whimsicott nodded. "Yes. Apparently." He paused and looked away. "And they never told me."

"Then they don't seem to care."

"They don't care about me?"

"They don't care that you're mad!" Harbinger barked. "They stick by you knowing that you have these outbursts? Then return the favour and do the same!" He turned and stormed away from him, making for the trees that marked the outskirts of the Endless Woods.

There, now he could hear the Whimsicott's footsteps. But they weren't moving away from him. He grit his teeth and closed his eyes.

"Why are you following me?"

"I... need help looking for them."

"Well you're not getting that from me."

"You saved them from me. So why not help us find each other?"

"Because your friends won't be very happy to see me."

"Why not?"

"You really don't have a clue do you?" Harbinger sat and looked down at him. "Do you even know what I am?"

The grass Pokemon shook his head.

Harbinger's brow furrowed in confusion. Was this Pokemon serious?

"I'm an Absol."

The Whimsicott looked thoughtful. Maybe that had rung some bells.

"Now tell me," Harbinger went on. "What do you Pokemon think Absol do?"

"Erm..." The Whimsicott shrugged. "I don't know. I don't have any memories."

Harbinger let out a single laugh. "This all makes sense then." He shook his head slowly. "Other Pokemon all think that Absol bring disaster and misfortune."

"But you don't?"

"Not usually." Harbinger stood up. "But I live up to my reputation. Every Pokemon in this world is my enemy. From Hydreigon to the Guild."

"I don't believe you."

Harbinger felt his eyes widen with surprise.

"If we're all your enemy," the Whimsicott began, "then why save my friends?"

"I wasn't saving your friends. I was stopping you from killing that Zorua."

"Harlequin? Why?"

Harbinger lowered his head so he was almost nose to nose with the Whimsicott. "Because he's mine."

...

**Huh... what's Harbinger up to?**

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	22. Setbacks

**A/N - I've been working hard this week getting more of this story written, setting the one-shots aside for a while so I can leap on ahead. So far, I've written a total of 39 chapters. 197 pages in Neo Office. 123,170 words. And I have a title for chapter 40, so it's still going. I hope you guys like long stories!**

**This is one of them moments where I really wanted to advance somewhere, but the characters had found themselves in an unfortunate situation. Hence the title.**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

22 – Setbacks

"Does the map say anything?"

Spark peered down at the scroll from Cleo's shoulders. The Meowstic held it between both paws, wondering if she was holding it at the correct angle. The Moorland's Forest was behind them but ahead of them after this vast plane were more trees. The map had 'Endless Woods' scrawled onto it. The plane itself had no name given, likely because it had long since been forgotten about. The ruins weren't on the map either, which made it hard for her to orient herself. Cleo made a mental note to mark it down the next time they found somewhere to rest.

She looked up from the map at the trees dotting the horizon. "I guess that must be the Endless Woods."

"You guess?" Spark raised an eyebrow.

"Well the ruins aren't on this map." Cleo looked back down at it with a frown. "And this plane apparently has trees all around it, which I sincerely doubt is the case. This area seems to be an error." She prodded their location on the map. "If we head the wrong way... then we're going to get lost."

"I thought we were going after Mischief?"

"We are. But we don't know which way he ran."

Spark clicked her tongue. "So... isn't this a little pointless?"

"No." Cleo rolled up the map and stuffed it back into her satchel. "If he'd gone back the way we came, and was back to his normal self which is very likely by this point, he'd have rejoined us by now. We've not come very far. If he's gone ahead of us, then he's going to be somewhere in this plane, or lost in the Endless Woods."

"Well, if they really are endless..."

"This is no time for jokes, Spark." Cleo pushed herself onwards. "This has become a setback and we need to find him."

Harlequin snorted, but Cleo ignored her. She'd not had much to say since their little argument earlier, and Spark was giving the Zorua even more of a cold shoulder than usual. There was no time for arguing now, anyway. Mischief was lost, and if Enigma was still out there and had recovered enough of his strength, then they were in a lot of danger.

However, the latter was unlikely. Cleo had seen the state of the Banette when she lifted Mischief off him. Her eyes might have been blurred by weakness, but it was very clear he was in no fit state to go on battling.

Cleo faltered as her eye caught sight of something on the grass. Something red and sticky. Her paw hovered over it for a moment and she stepped aside gingerly. Blood.

Spark peered down at it and her nose twitched as she sniffed the air. "That's not Mischief's is it?"

"No. As far as I could tell he wasn't wounded."

Harlequin zipped past her and put her nose to the grass. Her head snapped up again and twisted left and right, her ears pricked up straight.

Cleo cleared her throat and deviated to the left, giving the patch of blood a wide girth. "I don't think we should go that way."

"But he's this way!" Harlequin wailed.

Cleo looked back at her and frowned. "Enigma? Yes, I know. That's why we're avoiding it."

Harlequin bared her canines. "You're fuzzy friend went that way too. I can smell it."

Cleo closed her eyes and turned away. "You're lying."

"I'm not lying, I'm worried! What if he snaps again and kills him?!"

Cleo could feel the Zorua's eyes boring into the back of her head.

"I know you don't want that to happen," Harlequin went on. "You wouldn't have stopped him if you did."

The Meowstic closed her eyes again. This was war, Pokemon were killed left, right and centre, but she didn't like it. No one liked it. And if word got back to the Guild she'd spared one of Hydreigon's top assassins, she'd probably be locked away in that damp cell herself. She sighed and scratched the back of her head. Why did she do it?

"I know I'm right," Harlequin said slowly. "You're too soft."

Cleo looked back at the Zorua. She knew why she did it. It was Harlequin's reaction. It reminded her too much of herself. To see someone you care about defenceless, in trouble, near death... and to not be able to do anything about it... if she'd ever been in that situation, she'd have reacted exactly the same way.

She'd have panicked.

And if Spark had ran, and Cleo couldn't check if she was okay, she'd want to know, she'd fight with all the strength she had.

She sighed again. "All right, Harlequin, we'll go that way but on one condition – you tell me the truth." She met the Zorua's bright blue eyes and a look of surprise crossed them. "Did Mischief really go that way?"

Harlequin stared back at her, confusion spreading across her face as she tried to work the Meowstic out. Finally, she shook her head.

"No. He didn't." She nodded in the direction Cleo had been heading. "He went that way."

Cleo looked over her shoulder at the vast plane. It didn't fork off into two, but it was large enough that Pokemon could traverse it without running into each other. This wasn't going to be easy. If Mischief headed back to find them, and they'd gone in the other direction, the chances their paths would cross were minuscule.

Spark leapt off Cleo's shoulder. "I'll go find him."

"What?!" Cleo's eyes widened with surprise. "You'll get lost! You're drowned in that long grass!"

"Exactly, I can hide!" Spark gave Cleo a huge grin. "I'll find him, don't you worry. You just go with Harlequin, check on that Banette, and we'll meet you at the edge of the woods. We'll work our way along it until we find you. And you do the same."

Cleo felt her shoulders sag with defeat. "Fine. Just... be careful."

Spark gave Cleo a little wave then turned and vanished into the grass. Cleo watched the Dedenne's tail disappear out of view then turned reluctantly to face the Zorua.

"You can trail his scent," she told her. "So lead the way."

The Zorua turned sharply and lowered her nose to the grass, sniffing in a few different areas until she was satisfied and picked up her pace. Cleo made sure to stick close to her to give her room to move. Restricting her movements would have only made slow progress and she didn't have time to waste.

She swallowed drily, trying to dislodge the lump of worry that had risen in her throat. She'd lost Mischief, and now Spark had been separated from her. She felt alone, stuck with an assassin hired to kill her and her friends and now they were hunting for their wounded ally. Harlequin was right. She really had gone soft. She considered rushing after Spark, dragging the Zorua along with her, kicking and screaming in protest and calling her a liar, but she decided against it.

She wouldn't have liked it herself. It was better to just get things over with.

A small whine from Harlequin snapped Cleo back to reality. The Zorua had stumbled across more drops of blood on the grass. With another whine of distress, she picked up pace, almost reaching the end of her tether. Cleo sped up, causing the Zorua's ears to prick and swivel backwards. She'd noticed this, breaking into a trot with her nose to the ground.

Well, this would certainly speed things up. Cleo summoned all her energy and jogged after the Zorua, stumbling several times over those annoying spindly roots. Harlequin seemed to have the dexterity to avoid these as they didn't appear to give her any trouble.

When she began to feel breathless, Cleo looked up briefly. The edge of the woods was growing nearer. She had no idea how long they'd been trailing Enigma for, but her lungs were feeling almost fit to burst. Harlequin showed no sign of slowing down, her nose trailing over the grass, avoiding any blood splatters and hopping over what Cleo guessed were those tricky trip hazards. Cleo tried to follow her style with no avail. She almost fell face first into the grass.

Finally, Harlequin came to a sudden stop, turning and curving back until she reached a patch of bramble bushes with lumpy berries on them. She peered into them then sniffed the ground again.

Cleo parted the leaves to look into them, avoiding any thorns. It was empty.

"The trail ends here," Harlequin said, somewhat confused. She looked round at the bushes again then glanced round at the planes, her eyes searching the area frantically. "Hey, Enigma?! Are you here?!"

The Zorua's voice echoed slightly and Cleo's body tensed. She looked around sharply, ears pricked and alert. Any Pokemon nearby would have heard the Zorua's cry. Did Enigma have back up? Cleo really hoped not.

The Zorua let out a sharp breath and stood back, searching around the berry bush once more before turning to face Cleo.

"I can't see him."

Cleo glanced around at each bush in turn then shook her head. "Maybe he warped." She looked back the way they'd come and her eyes fell on a large sitrus tree. Its branches were empty. No Pokemon rested in them.

Harlequin followed her gaze, and her face dropped. He wasn't here and she knew it.

"I'm sorry, Harlequin," Cleo said sadly. "We tried."

The Zorua nodded and turned away from the tree, plodding alongside Cleo as they made for the woods.

"If he's not here," she told the Meowstic, "then maybe he's recovered and warped away."

"Maybe." Cleo licked her lips nervously. Recovered. That meant he could be anywhere, tailing them. Or tailing Spark.

...

Enigma watched the Zorua turn away and follow the Meowstic. He'd seen them coming and to avoid trouble had reduced his density until he was completely invisible. That Meowstic may have let him get away but he wasn't willing to put himself in any danger of an attack in his current state.

Then there was Harlequin, following after that Meowstic. Apparently he had no choice. That collar worked in some strange way it didn't let him move away from the Meowstic.

But why were they looking for him? No right-minded Pokemon would willingly go searching for an assassin sent to kill them. He licked bitter berry juice from his claws and grimaced. Maybe Harlequin wasn't on his side after all. His mind had been warped and he was helping the Meowstic to find him and finish him off. Harlequin wasn't his ally any more.

That meant he'd have to kill him.

He crossed his arms over his stomach and closed his eyes, his breath coming in painful, shallow bursts. That thought made him feel sick.

...

"Oi!"

Spark bounded forwards through the grass, catching the Whimsicott's eye. He beamed when he spotted her.

"Spark!" He ran towards her then faltered, looking past her at the waving grass. "Where's Cleo?"

"With Harlequin." Spark stood up on her hind legs and scrutinized Mischief, her nose crinkled in confusion. "Is something wrong? You look funny."

Mischief pointed at his face. "Me? No... I'm..." He shifted from foot to foot and looked back over his shoulder as though he expected someone to be there. He looked back at Spark and lowered himself to her level, keeping his voice low. "I've been told something."

Spark's ears twitched. "What? Is it bad? Does it concern me?" She paused. "Does it concern food?"

"Yes, no and no."

He glanced back again then stooped to pick up Spark, setting her on his shoulder. She almost drowned in his downy fluff and stuck her head out, spitting out tufts of cotton.

"There, I can whisper now." He gave her a sideways glance. "Where are we going?"

"Erm." Spark pointed to his left. "That way. We need to find Cleo. I said we'd meet her at the edge of the trees."

Mischief began walking, his gait bouncy and light compared to Cleo's.

"So... the news," she said impatiently.

"Oh right yes! Erm..." He glanced at her again. "I was told not to tell anybody."

"Then why bring it up!" Spark quipped. "You know I have no patience!"

"Argh." Mischief rubbed a paw over his head. "Because it's bad, Spark, it's bad." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Someone wants to kill Harlequin."

Spark let out a rather loud, rather long "Whaaaat?!" She instantly covered her mouth with both paws. "I'm sorry, that was loud."

Mischief gave her a look of dismay. "Yes, it was."

Spark spoke much quieter this time. "Who is it?"

"He says he's an Absol." Mischief rubbed his paws together and glanced back over his shoulder.

"Suspicious movements." Spark gave him a small kick in the shoulder. "Stop it."

"Okay." He nodded. "Thing is, I've never heard of an Absol."

"You probably have. They just might have been removed from your mind." She paused. "They're generally bad news. Even the Shadow Lands don't want them."

"Because they believe they bring disasters."

Mischief's matter-of-fact response caused Spark to pause again.

"He told you that huh?"  
Mischief nodded. "Yeh. Spark... what do we do?"

"Nothin'." Spark crossed her paws. "We don't need the extra stress of telling Harlequin."

"But he wants to kill him!"

"Well _she_ probably won't handle it well."

"You... you really think Harlequin's a she?"

Spark snorted. "Yeh."

Mischief shrugged. "The Absol didn't seem to think so."

"Huh." Spark scratched her chin. "Interesting."

"But I don't think it matters right now. Because we need to do something."

"No. We don't."

"I don't want anyone to die, Spark!"

Spark looked round at Mischief. His eyes were wide and panicked and he was staring down at his paws. Staring at them as though they'd deceived him by committing a violent crime.

Spark crinkled her nose. It wouldn't be a false accusation but it was one he hated.

"Mischief... have you noticed something?"

He broke his attention away from his paws to glance at her. "No?"

"You only go mad when you fight."

He opened his mouth a few times and looked away. "So I shouldn't fight?"

"I'm not saying that." Spark looked ahead to try and spot Cleo. "You've used attacks without losing your mind. I think you need to try and look for the signs."

"But I've not noticed anything."

"You don't feel anything? No light-headedness? No... snap?"

"No." He paused. "My mind just goes blank. Then I wake up somewhere different."

Spark thought about this for a moment. No signs. No signs at all. He just went mad. There was nothing they could do to help him.

"Is there a cure?" He asked quietly. "Can we fix me?"

Spark felt a sharp stab of sadness. There _really was _nothing they could do to help him. No one had ever bothered to find a cure for Pokerus. It was a beneficial virus. There had been no point. Until now. But how was she going to tell him that?

"We'll speak to Cleo," she said. "Maybe there might be a cure somewhere in the world but... hang onto hope, okay?" She gave him a grin.

He returned it with a half smile. "Okay. I'll hang on."

"Oh, speaking of which!" Spark waved wildly. "Hey! Cleo!"

The Meowstic's eyes fixed on her and she picked up pace, Harlequin trotting behind her. Mischief skipped towards them, covering the rest of the distance as he almost glided in the air.

"You're too loud," Cleo told Spark firmly. "You need to keep your voice down."

"Ahh." Spark slumped. "Sorry."

Cleo looked up at the trees. "We need to take these woods and I've no idea what's in them."

"Did you find Enigma?"

Cleo glanced at her. "No."

Spark looked down at Harlequin. The Zorua was downcast, her head held lower than usual, looking up at them with her canines bared. Enigma was going to be a sore spot for a while it seemed.

And she also had no idea an Absol wanted to kill her.

She wanted to tell her but she decided against it. There was also the possibility doing so might put Mischief's life at risk. Which also meant theirs. But then there was the risk the Absol thought they were Harlequin's allies and would be taken out with her. But then why spare Mischief?And she couldn't tell Cleo because Harlequin was too close by. She pulled her head into the Whimsicott's fur. This was tricky.

"Spark?" Cleo asked. "Are you okay?"

"Just sleepy."

"Well, you'll need to keep your wits about you. It'll be darker in these woods and the sun may set soon."

...

An entire day had passed since Tinker had spoken to the Guild Elites. The reaction had been somewhat mixed, leaning more towards speculations concerning the Riolu's sanity.

As such, Tinker had barely left his office. He paced back and forth, occasionally giving the egg a cautious glance. The beating was stronger. Despite the lack of a warm body to keep it safe, the egg was going to hatch. It had clearly been close to hatching before the mother had left.

_'Tinker, this is madness! We can't have a baby dragon-type Pokemon running rampant around New City!'_

_'But he has a point. It doesn't hatch as a dragon type, it gains it upon evolution.'_

_'Yeh, just give it an everstone like you're wearing, Tinker, then it shouldn't be a problem.'_

_'Not a problem? Are you crazy?! It's still a baby Altaria, it's still in the same evolution line!'_

_'But it doesn't hatch with built-in morals, we can raise it to be one of us.'_

_'Until it learns what it is...'_

Tinker stopped his pacing and stared at the bump beneath the blanket. Mixed opinions, each one making a firm point. But the decision was obvious.

He had to get rid of it.

Without a second thought, he strode over to the egg and whipped off the blanket. The momentum sent the egg toppling sideways out of its nest and onto his desk. Small cracks appeared along the side of it. Now the egg was ruined, his decision finalised. With both paws, he made to pick the egg up, but a small cry stopped him in his tracks. The egg flipped to the other side, the cracks spreading across it, criss-crossing the smooth surface. In a flurry of fine shards, the egg shattered, scattering jagged pieces across his desk.

Tinker blinked a few times, rubbing a paw across his eyes. He'd thought the egg had been close to hatching, but it had taken him quite by surprise. Sat on his desk amongst the scattered shards was a baby Swablu, its feathers still moist from its time in the egg.

The Swablu blinked its tiny black eyes and looked up at him, squinting in the candlelight that filled his office. When it finally focused on him, its eyes widened with a look of fondness and it flapped its little wings, skittering across the desk towards him.

In a flash, Tinker caught the baby Pokemon before it slipped off the edge of his desk. He set it back in its nest and sat down heavily in his chair, staring back at the baby Swablu. It inclined its head on one side and let out a small chirp.

It was too late. He couldn't get rid of it now. It would never be able to defend itself. He was stuck with it.

Regardless, he found a small smile playing across his face. The little Swablu, still fixing him with fond eyes, chirped again.

"Well." Tinker stood up and reached for a plate of berries across the table. "I guess you're hungry?"

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	23. The Fairy Garden

**A/N - Thank you for new reviews and follows! =D**

**Chapter 23! Here we go!**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

23 – The Fairy Garden

The Endless Woods were indeed darker, and lived up to their name. It felt like they'd been walking for more than a day.

Spark was back on Cleo's shoulder, the both of them feeling tense and not just from the darkness cast by the trees. Mischief had taken to walking on ahead again, which in the circumstances was definitely the right decision. Harlequin had not been pleased to see him, despite the Whimsicott's pleas that he had no recollection of his attack on Enigma.

Mischief had apologised incessantly until Cleo told him to drop it, it didn't matter. If he hadn't taken down Enigma, they'd be dead.

Spark kept her head poked out of Cleo's fur, looking around at passing trees and shrubs.

"Is it just me?" she asked. "Or does this wood all look the same?"  
"I think we're just getting bored," Cleo said flatly. "All these trees don't give much variety to the scenery."

Harlequin snorted laughter.

Cleo glanced back at her. "I take it you agree?"

"Not remotely." Harlequin chuckled again. "You're clearly lost."

Cleo rubbed her paws together and looked round at the trees. She hadn't thought to mark their way, but she guessed right now would be the time to start. That tree with the sparse leaves... they'd passed that before, she was sure.

She flexed her claws and scratched a large cross into the trunk of the tree. There. That should help them at least.

They kept on walking, and every few paces, Cleo left another mark. They continued on in silence, winding along the well-trodden path through the trees. It was a safe option. One would assume a well-trodden path was one that had been used by Pokemon frequently passing through the woods at one time or another. The oncoming cold season had encouraged the trees to shed their leaves, and occasionally a blanket of them covered the path, but not enough to obscure complete view of where they should go.

A small groan came from Spark and Cleo stopped, following the Dedenne's gaze to the large tree, sporting a cross clawed into the bark.

Harlequin burst into fits of laughter, her legs buckling beneath her as she rolled onto the floor.

"You're lost!" she gasped. "You're well and truly lost!"

"Laugh all you want," said Cleo. "Because if we're lost, so are you."  
"Oh, I'm not lost." Harlequin rolled back onto her front and looked up at her. "I've just been following your pathetic endeavours to make it through this place."  
"So you know how to get out of here?" Spark snapped. "Then why not help us?!"

"Why would I help you?" Harlequin growled. "I'm a prisoner!"

"Yes." Spark crossed her paws. "One that is stuck in this wood for as long as we're stuck in it."

"Spark has a point," said Cleo. "If you can get out of here, then it would be very helpful for all of us if you showed us."

"Or we could go this way." Mischief pointed at a smaller, less worn path leading off their current one. "We've not tried this way."

Harlequin grinned. "Go on. Try it. Follow your crack-pot friend."

Cleo sharply looked from Mischief's pained expression to Harlequin. "Hey! There'll be none of that!"

"Watch your tongue, Zorua!" Spark yelled over Cleo.

"He hurt my friend!" Harlequin barked.  
"He's not your friend!" Spark retorted. "He made that very clear!"

Harlequin's eyes turned livid and she lunged at Spark. Spark flinched, but before Harlequin could make contact, she rolled back from the collar's resistance.

"Enough!" Cleo screamed.

Harlequin let out a low growl. "When you're off that shoulder, pipsqueak, I'll shut that mouth of yours!"

"Oh yeah?!" Spark bristled. "We'll see about that!"

"I said enough!" Cleo's voice cut through the Pokemons' squabbles, bringing them both to silence.

Harlequin lay on her back, leering at Spark, her breath coming in quick, heavy bursts. Spark stood sparking on Cleo's shoulder, her electricity tickling the Meowstic's fur.

"This is getting us nowhere." Cleo turned away from Harlequin, forcing the Zorua to climb to her feet and follow reluctantly behind them. "Let's just try Mischief''s suggestion and see where it leads us."

Mischief slumped on ahead, dragging his feet through the scattering of red and orange leaves. Harlequin's words had clearly wounded him. Cleo looked away from him and focused on marking the trees. She wanted to talk to him about all this, but it would be near impossible with Harlequin constantly by her side. Her only other option was to have Spark pass whispered messages back and forth, and that was just long winded and tedious.

Another tree marked, another stretch of ground to cover. Being in these woods was becoming irksome. It was quiet, too quiet. Empty. Nothing else was in these trees apart from them. That was how it felt.

Cleo flinched as her eyes settled on a tree she was about to mark. There they were. Claw marks. They'd gone full circle again.

"You really don't have a clue about this place do you?" Harlequin grumbled.

Cleo looked back at her. "And you do?"

"Yes." Harlequin gave a single nod. "It's called the Endless Woods for a reason."

"Because it sends you in circles?" Spark snorted. "Certainly fitting."

"No, because it's former Gardevoir territory." A small smile crossed the Zorua's face as she stared at the other Pokemons' bewildered expressions. "They enchanted it. It's meant to keep other Pokemon away from their home."

"But..." Cleo faltered, pulling her map from her bag. It hadn't been marked with a cross, but the Endless Woods were clearly named. She'd not known this was their home. "But Gardevoir were wiped out at the start of the war."

"Yes," Harlequin stated. "That's why their enchantment doesn't effect me. It's weakened over the years since there have been no Pokemon here to maintain it."

Cleo looked up from the map to give Harlequin a quizzical look. "How do you know about this?"

"It's common knowledge," Harlequin snorted. "When the war started, Hydreigon commanded all psychic Pokemon be wiped out, as you well know." She gave Cleo a mocking half-smile that sent the Meowstic's fur on end and she clutched the map tight in her claws. "Hydreigon's armies had a hard time in these woods however. High level stuff, this enchantment. They only found a handful of Gardevoir over the space of several years. After that, nothing. They've clearly been wiped out." Harlequin looked round at the trees. "Especially if the weakening enchantment is anything to go by."  
Spark spoke quietly in Cleo's ear. "Is this similar to Grey's illusion do you think?"  
Cleo made a thoughtful noise. It sounded like it. Together, a group of Gardevoir could indeed create an illusion that would affect dark Pokemon, disorienting them until they got lost in the woods. Normally she'd be able to detect other psychic Pokemon's abilities but this hadn't occurred to her at all, like Grey's illusion. It was subtle.

"Are you saying it's weakened enough to no longer effect you?" she asked the Zorua.

Harlequin grinned. "Like water off a Ducklett's back."

Cleo looked around at the trees, her ears twitching as she strained to pick up any disturbances. There was nothing.

Spark shifted in her fur. "Do you think you can pick it up now you're aware of it?"

"Unfortunately not." Cleo sighed. "We'll just keep going in circles."  
"No you won't." Harlequin stood and moved past her. "I'm tired of this. Just let me lead for a while."  
Spark let out a laugh. "What? So you can lead us into the Shadow Lands?"  
Harlequin raised an eyebrow at her. "How big do you think this wood is?"

Spark shrugged. "Big enough to get lost in."

"It doesn't spread that far. So long as I'm stuck in this blasted collar, I can't force you to go anywhere can I?"

"Fine." Cleo sighed. "Lead the way."

Harlequin took a few steps forward pausing briefly by Mischief. She shot him a warning glare.

"You stay out of my way."  
Mischief fell back until he was beside Cleo, his eyes welling up with tears. Cleo felt a pang in her chest and she ran a paw down her face. Again, there was nothing she could do in these circumstances. They had no choice but to press on.

In silence, they followed the Zorua along the less used path. Cleo watched marked trees pass them by and she had a moment of doubt. Harlequin may have been lying when she said this enchantment didn't effect her.

The worn path wound to the right and Cleo turned to follow it. But Harlequin moved on, breaking off the path and plodding through thick undergrowth. She reached the end of her tether and looked back.

"Are you coming?"  
Cleo looked down the narrow, worn path, something ringing deep within her that told her to go that way. The certainty that it was the right way.

That was it. The enchantment.

She tore herself away from it and followed after Harlequin. Mischief faltered, looking from Cleo to the path and back. She grabbed his paw and pulled him after her, following Harlequin through the thick weeds.

That feeling still rang out, commanding her to go back. It wasn't the right way. She was getting lost.

Fighting against the enchantment made it feel so obvious now. It was a psychic ability, one that didn't have much effect on her considering her resistance. A familiar feeling from the days her childhood playmates had used confusion on her. It was disorienting, but a familiar feeling. Mischief, however, was lagging behind as he battled with the uncertainty that Cleo was doing the right thing.

"Cleo I can't stand this," said Spark. "We're lost. I want to go back."  
"We're not lost," said Cleo. "Ignore it."

Spark stood up on tiptoes on her shoulder and looked back. "We are so lost! We need to go back before we get more lost!"

"We're fine."

"You're fine!" Harlequin called back to them. "Just follow me and stop whining!"

"We can't follow you, you're the enemy!" said Spark.

Harlequin faced forward again. "Fine. Go back. Get lost."

Cleo cast a sideways glance at Spark, twisting left and right with uncertainty. "Don't you dare leave my shoulder."

"I can't stand it-"  
"I'll put you in my bag?"

Spark sat down and crossed her arms, glancing back the way they came.

As they moved on, the enchantment didn't let up. Harlequin skipped along, completely immune to it. Cleo was growing tired battling the resistance that tried to force them back. Spark was growing more and more jittery, and Mischief was beginning to battle against her paw. She clutched onto him tighter, dragging the lagging Whimsicott behind her.

The trees looked more imposing, their limbs reaching down like claws, reaching out to push them back, deter them, intimidate them, force them to go the other way. Cleo closed her eyes, picking up her pace and affirming her grip on Mischief's paw. The Whimsicott let out a small whimper and lagged slightly before picking up his own pace, clearly deciding companionship was better than being lost and alone.

Forcing herself to open her eyes in a desperate bid to not lose their path, Cleo focused on Harlequin's black tail bobbing along ahead. The trees here grew closer together, as though they were members of an army closing in to block them off. Harlequin slipped between two large trunks, hopping over their raised roots as if they were nothing. Cleo scrambled over them, scraping her limbs on the rough bark. A flurry of white fluff scattered behind them as Mischief reluctantly followed her through. The path here widened out and Harlequin paused to wait for them to catch up. In a flash, she took off again, following the wider, more trodden path away from them.

Cleo faltered. Something was ringing out to them, something blaring over the enchantment.

She looked to her right. Large thorn bushes wound between the trees, obscuring the view of what lay beyond. Despite its appearance, it was an inviting feeling. A good feeling.

She deviated from the path, heading towards the thorn bushes. A yell came from Harlequin as she found herself pulled along behind them.

"That's not the way! Follow me, I can get us out of here!"

Cleo ignored her cries, peering over the thorn bushes. Beyond it, a soft jingling reached her ears. Not a bell, but a soft jingle. She pushed herself through the brambles, the thorns barely touching her fur. She'd released Mischief, but he followed her, clearly as curious as she was. Harlequin's cries had stopped and Cleo could hear her light footsteps following behind her. The thorn bush opened up into an area with sparse trees and a small oran berry bush where the jingling was coming from. Something shot out of the bush, hovering a mere few inches from the ground. It spotted them and froze. A small Pokemon with long limbs clutching several keys below it. They clattered together with a soft chime as it turned away from them and shot across the clearing.

"Hey!" Cleo called out. "Wait!"  
She darted after the fleeing Pokemon, Harlequin and Mischief jogging to keep up with her. Then the clearing warped.

Lush grass spread out beneath their feet, reaching as far back and as far forward as it could go. Bushes and trees thick with berries grew up out of the ground, scattered across the lush plane. Flowers lay in abundance in vibrant flower beds and in the distance Cleo could make out a large, sparkling river flowing down a green hillside.

The most striking thing was the Pokemon. They were everywhere. Ones she recognised and ones she didn't. Little Pokemon hanging on to flowers floated over the flower beds, laughing amongst each other and dancing around a group of larger Pokemon with thick petals around their heads. Tiny Hoppip floated past, dancing in the breeze that carried them. A flock of Mareep and and Flaaffy lay sprawled alongside a flock of Skidoo and Gogoat. Hundreds of other Pokemon of varying species filled this large, beautiful garden. Cleo couldn't think of another word to describe it. Meadow, plane, clearing, glade... none of them seemed to fit. It had everything.

"Cleo, look!" Mischief pointed a paw at a group of Cottonee floating past in the distance. "They're my family!" He bolted away from her.

"Mischief, wait!" Cleo reached out a paw to stop him.

"Well, hello there."

Mischief froze in his tracks and looked back, and the other three Pokemon turned to face the voice. Two Pokemon stood to their left smiling at them. A Mawile and a Gardevoir.

"I'm Faith!" said the Mawile, the one that had spoken. "And this is Hope." She indicated the Gardevoir who gave them a warm smile.

Cleo was speechless. Her mouth fell open but nothing came out. Spark was rendered as oddly speechless. Mischief and Harlequin had gone back to staring at their new surroundings, Mischief's eyes not leaving the group of Cottonee.

"You seem surprised," said Faith. "That's normal. Every Pokemon seems to react this way when they find this place."

Cleo finally found her words and she looked around again. "What _is_ this place?"

"The Fairy Garden," said Hope.  
Cleo looked back at her. "Fairy Garden?"  
Faith nodded. "Yup!"

"I've never heard of it."  
"Me neither," said Spark.

Hope smiled. "Well, you were looking for it."

Mischief turned to her. "Looking for it?"

Spark raised an eyebrow. "But we've never heard of it. How can we be looking for it?"

"You were seeking solitude." The Gardevoir spread an arm over the garden. "All the Pokemon here were seeking solitude. That's how they found this place."

Solitude. Cleo looked out at the happy Pokemon filling the garden. Peaceful. Not afraid. Not a dark Pokemon in sight.

Dark Pokemon! She looked down at Harlequin. The Zorua stood, mouth agape, staring speechlessly at the garden.

"Well, isn't this an odd development?" Faith chuckled, walking over to the Zorua. "You're the first dark Pokemon to find this place."

"Careful." Cleo held out a paw to block the Mawile. "She's leashed to me. She can't touch you if you stay more than two feet away from me."  
"Nonsense. She wouldn't be able to enter this garden if she weren't looking for it." Faith laughed.

"I wouldn't be so sure. She's chained to me, so she had no choice."

Hope and Faith shook their heads.

"Nope," chirruped the Mawile. "If she didn't want to be here, she'd be stood in an empty clearing wondering where you'd vanished to."

"Seeking solitude..." Harlequin's breathing increased and she took a step back. "It's not real, I'm dreaming..."

"My." Hope covered her mouth. "Yes, it must seem like a dream after all that time in the Shadow Lands."

Harlequin shook her head. "It's because I saw those tapestries... I'm dreaming." She looked to her left and let out a choked gasp. "I'm dreaming..."

"Oh!" Faith leapt from foot to foot and clapped. "Xerneas!"

Cleo followed her gaze and stifled a gasp of her own. Walking towards them was the stag they'd seen in the painting, even more graceful than the pictures made him out to be. He walked with an air of majesty, the antlers on his head radiating with a soft prism of light.

Accompanying him were two blue, slender Pokemon with white downy wings. Altaria. Two dragon type Pokemon flying gracefully in circles above him, humming a joyous melody. They perched on the bough of a large tree and peered down at them with friendly, curious eyes.

Hope and Faith both bowed deeply. Cleo felt it only right she do the same. Spark hopped from her shoulder and copied her and she could hear Mischief flopping to his knees in the grass behind them.

Xerneas stopped beside Hope and Faith and looked from Cleo to each of her companions in turn. His eyes were warm and friendly, and he gave them an affectionate smile.

"Welcome. You don't need to be afraid. You can leave your troubles behind, there's nothing to fear here."

Cleo was at a loss for words, and she wasn't the only one. Before any of them had a chance to speak, he looked at Harlequin and gave her a nod.

"Young Zorua. Come with me."

The Zorua was shaking from head to foot, but she didn't back away. Instead, she followed nervously after him.

Cleo took a step forward and raised her paw. "Wait, she-"

Harlequin kept on moving, past the two foot limit without so much as a snag. Cleo stared at her bracelet then back at the vanishing Zorua. The two Altaria were following after them, circling and dancing in the air, their melody ringing out across the Fairy Garden.

"Wow," came Mischief's voice from behind her. "So that's Xerneas?"

Spark nodded. "I guess so."

"Yep! That's Xerneas!" Faith closed her eyes and smiled, skipping over to Cleo and her friends. "Maybe we can show you around and explain this place? I bet you have hundreds of questions!"

"In fact, we do." Cleo looked at Hope and Faith, her eyes picking out for the first time the stones they both wore. Faith's was fastened in the centre of a pink bow around her horn, and Hope had one hanging around her neck. The both of them also wore dainty bracelets on their wrists. "Wow, you-!" She pointed but was cut off as Faith instead grabbed her paw.

"Come on! Ooh this is exciting!" She skipped ahead, dragging Cleo behind her.

"Wait!" Mischief trotted to keep up with them alongside Spark, Hope following behind them.

"Oh, Faith," she said. "We have plenty of time, you don't need to rush."

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	24. Mega Evolution

**A/N - Thanks so much for all new reviews! =D I do read them, and it's encouraging to know people are enjoying this story! I'm really enjoying writing it!**

**Next weekend, we're going away and I might not have access to internet... as such, there'll be two more updates Monday and Friday like normal, then there may be a week's break. Unless I hear otherwise, assume that's the case =) I'll remind you again next Friday, then after a week things will return to normal!**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

24 – Mega Evolution

Tinker sat watching the little Swablu hatchling, tucking into a small bowl of berries on his desk. The newly named Starshine seemed rather content, interspersing each mouthful with a little chirp and a glance in his direction probably to make sure he was still there.

"Decided to keep it then, aye?"

Tinker looked sharply at his office door. He hadn't even heard the knock. Skipper leant against the door frame, half in and half out of his room. The Riolu looked back at the baby Pokemon and let out a small sigh.

"Told anyone yet?" Skipper closed the door and moved to stand beside him.

"No." Tinker leant back in his seat and rubbed his paws over his face. "I don't know how."

"Ye ne'er told anyone ye were gonna get rid of it though, did ye?"  
"No... no, I didn't." He looked up at his friend. "But I doubt this will be met with joy, Skipper."  
The Marshstomp shrugged. "Nae, I agree wi' that. However..." He adjusted his goggles on his head and stared thoughtfully at the little Swablu. "Ye can't keep 'im a secret, Tinker. Sooner or later he's gonna be runnin' 'round New City like th' rest o' the hatchlings."

Tinker stared down at the baby, completely unaware of their conversation.

"Laughin'," Skipper went on. "Yellin', playin', makin' friends-"  
"Making friends?" Tinker looked up at him sharply. That was a thought that had never occurred to him before.

Skipper raised an eyebrow. "Ye ne'er considered that?"

"No..." Tinker looked back at the Swablu. He was watching him now with his little black eyes. "That's... brilliant."

"Oh?"

Tinker stood up, sending his chair toppling backwards with a loud clatter. "Skipper, you're a genius!"

"Ahh, Tink. I was only sayin' like t'other kids-"  
"Yes! Starshine is just like other kids." Tinker turned to face him, a large smile beaming on his face. "If he mixes with the other Pokemon and makes friends..." He trailed off, his smile faltering.

"You think he mightn't make friends?"

"No, it's not that." Tinker scratched his ear and let out a flustered breath. "It's the mothers. Hatchlings don't tend to be judgemental. But the mothers won't want their children playing with a Swablu."

Skipper looked thoughtful, glancing at the door then back at Starshine. "I could ask my sis? Wee Tad ain't much older."

"Your sister? That hadn't occurred to me... of course, she has a child."  
"Aye, my nephew." Skipper fiddled with his goggles again. "Trouble is she's a wee bit protective, ya know. There ain't many of us left alive now."

Tinker nodded. He was strongly considering this. He stared down at Starshine who had abandoned the bowl of berries, perching near the edge of his desk and fixing them both with his tiny eyes.

"How much do you think he can understand?" Tinker asked Skipper. "Do you think he'd be able to play with anyone at his age?"  
"I dunno." Skipper made for the door. "I'll be back soon, aye? Sis is only at th' market."

Tinker nodded and picked up his chair, falling heavily onto the seat. Starshine inclined his head on one side and chirped. It sounded like a question. Tinker stared at him and gave a small smile. The little Swablu bounced up and down with glee and ran back to the bowl of berries.

"Still hungry?" Tinker asked.

Starshine turned to face him, a cheri berry clutched in his beak. He flopped across the desk towards Tinker, the edge completely obscured from his view by the large fruit.

Tinker's heart almost struck his throat. He stuck out both paws and caught the baby Swablu before he plummeted to the floor. A sigh of relief escaped his lips and he set the Swablu on his lap. Starshine chirped and dropped the berry, smiling and flapping his wings, oblivious to his narrowly avoided demise.

Tinker laughed. "You just wanted to share?" He ran a paw across his forehead. "That's no reason to rush off the desk, Starshine."

"Tinker!"

The door to his office flew open and he leapt from his seat, holding the Swablu in his arms. He fixed wide eyes on a female Marshstomp, a large red ribbon adorning her head. Standing behind her was a shrewd-looking Skipper, and a small Mudkip peered at him behind her ankle.

"Is this ano'er one o' ye mad experiments?!"

Tinker shushed her and shook his head. "Can you come inside and talk about this? You'll have all of New City in an uproar."  
"An' rightly so, ye mad fool!" Regardless, she stepped inside, ushering her son ahead of her.

Skipper closed the door quietly and leant against it, giving Tinker an apologetic look.

This was Skipper's sister. Unlike her brother, Lily rarely left New City. However, she was well known amongst the other mothers. If this didn't go down well, word would quickly spread about the Swablu and Tinker might find himself on the receiving end of a very unpleasant riot.

Lily put her paws on her hips and leant in until she was almost nose to nose with Tinker.

"What on earth made ye think ye could just bring a Swablu down here into New City?"

Tinker's mouth hung open but all that came out was, "I... I..."

"It's a dragon, Tinker!" Lily growled. "What if it turns on us, gets out and reveals New City to Hydreigon?!"

"It's a baby!" Tinker's voice took himself by surprise. Lily just blinked at him, waiting for him to elaborate. "It's a baby, Lily. If we raise it with our morals, and it makes friends amongst us... maybe even joins our ranks to fight in this war. This could give us a strong advantage."

"And a glaring weakness."

Tinker stared at the female Marshstomp. She crossed her arms and looked from Starshine to Tinker.

"Ye know the dragon type's weak t'itself. It wouldn't take much for 'em t'pick it off. One Altaria in the army ain't gonna give us much of an advantage, ye old fool."

Tinker stared down at the Swablu in his arms and sighed.

"I think ye went soft," Lily went on. "Ye found an egg an' wanted t'hatch it. A little baby abandoned in th' wild an' ye couldn't leave it." She paused, observing Tinker's sullen expression. "I'm right ain't I?"

Tinker couldn't say anything. Her words struck him hard and he flinched. She was right, of course she was right. He glanced up at her, but the look of fury was gone from her face.

"C'mon, Tinker, I ain't 'eartless." She smiled. "I'd've done the same."  
Tinker's jaw dropped. "You're not angry?"  
"Oh I'm angry!" She crossed her arms. "Angry ye lied! Why not just admit it that ye went soft an' rescued a defenceless egg?"

"Because I feared the Pokemon here wouldn't understand."  
"They already know it's 'ere, Tinker. The Elites didn't exactly keep their yaps shut ye know?" She laughed. "Anyway, Tad 'ere knows moves t'defend himself if need be."  
Tinker's eyes widened. "Are you saying-"  
"I'll 'elp ye? Yeh sure, why not." She smiled warmly at him. "But I'm tellin' ye... anythin' goes wrong, that Swablu's out. All right?"

Tinker gave her a smile and nodded. "Yes."  
"Whew!" Skipper slipped down the door and fell to his bottom. "Seriously, sis. Ah thought ye were gonna 'ave 'is 'ead off!"

Lily ignored her brother, instead looking down at the Swablu. "What've ye named it then?"  
"He's called Starshine," Tinker explained.

The Swablu chirped at her.

"Can't speak yet, eh?" Lily chuckled and took Starshine from Tinker, setting him down on the floor. "C'mon, Tad, don't be shy. Say hello."

The little Mudkip glanced up at his uncle with uncertainty, then ventured slowly towards the Swablu. Starshine was too busy observing the room from his new position on the floor to give Tad much attention. The Mudkip stopped a few paces away from the new hatchling and cleared his throat.

"Hi there."

Starshine glanced at him, chirped, then hopped in a little circle with his eyes on the ceiling.

Tad looked up at his mother. "Don't do much does he?"

Lily chuckled. "O'course not, lad, he's only just hatched! Give 'im a few weeks 'n' he'll be laughin' and playin' on your level." She turned to Tinker and gave him a serious look. "This is you're responsibility now, Tinker."

"I'm aware." Tinker nodded. "If he turns on us, I'm to blame."  
"I wasn't sayin' that!" Lily frowned. "I'm sayin' yer his surrogate dad. It ain't easy bein' a parent. Come on, Tad. It's almost dinner time."

Tad gave Starshine one last glance before following his mother from Tinker's office. Lily paused in the open doorway and fired a look at Skipper.

"As fer you. Don't keep serious matters like this from me again, aye?"

"I was sworn t' secrecy, sis!"

"Yes, well." Lily gave Skipper and Tinker a smile. "I could've helped ye. If ye need anythin' just ask, all right?" She gave them a wave and closed the door quietly.

"By 'eck." Skipper flopped against Tinker's desk. "She can be a wee bit intimidatin', that one."

Tinker nodded and gave a sigh of relief as he fell back into his chair. "I didn't expect that at all."

"At least ye have some hope of 'im makin' friends now, aye?"  
"Certainly."

Tinker watched the little Swablu flop along the floor, inspecting every piece of paper and clutter he came across. Hope of making friends... he was starting to feel he had hope of a little more than that.

...

Cleo struggled to keep up with Faith. The Mawile kept pausing to look back at them with a cry of 'come on come on!' before skipping on ahead again, almost losing them in the spread of exuberant flower beds.

Cleo had asked her where she was taking them, but all the Mawile had replied with was a chirpy, "You'll see!"

They were led through a massive orchard, the smell of flowers and ripe fruit tickling their noses and igniting their appetite. But this wasn't where Faith was trying to take them. They passed by each well cared for tree and bush until they exploded through to the other side. There it was. A large building looming towards them, the sun's rays embracing the surface in a warm, gentle light.

"What is that?" Cleo gasped between breaths.

Faith looked back at her. "The abbey!"  
"Abbey?!" The exclamation had come from both Cleo and Spark.

Faith's large eyes sparkled in amusement. "You seem surprised!"

Cleo was too breathless with the strain of keeping up with the excitable Mawile to explain. When they finally reached a stop, she buckled over with her paws on her knees to catch her breath.

Spark flopped onto her back in the soft grass, her breath coming in rapid gasps. Mischief sat down next to her and wiped a paw across his brow.

Hope stopped behind them and chuckled. "I see that run has tired you out?"  
Cleo looked back at the Gardevoir. "How are you not tired?"  
"You get used to it." She smiled. "Faith is always darting about like a Beautifly on the first day of the flower season."

Faith grinned at them and folded her paws behind her back. "Want me to show you around?"

Spark wafted a paw in the air. "Gimme a minute. I think I've died."

Mischief looked up at the Mawile. "You say this is an abbey?"

She nodded. "Yes! It's the Fairy Garden's main building too! Filled with warm nest rooms, a massive dinner hall-"

Spark sat bolt upright. "Dinner?"  
Faith chuckled. "Yes. And a courtyard filled with flowers and a pretty willow in the middle with a pond... oh it's lovely!" She clapped her paws together. "You simply must see it at night time! The Illumise and Volbeat light up the sky with the most exquisite dance you've ever seen."  
Mischief smiled. "It sounds wonderful!"

"Ah, then let me show you!" Faith took Mischief's paws and pulled him to his feet. "Then I can show you your rooms."

"Rooms?" Cleo stood up straight to face the Mawile. "What rooms?"  
"Why, your quarters of course! Where else will you sleep?" She glanced at the trees. "Or do you prefer more traditional nests? We have those for arboreal Pokemon but-"

"Faith, we're not staying here indefinitely," Cleo explained. "There's a war."

"Yes?"

Cleo narrowed her eyes. "You do know there's a war?"

Faith nodded. "Yes."  
"It's been going on for many many years now," Hope added.

Cleo looked from one to the other. "And you just stay here... safe?"

"We fight when we're needed," Hope explained. "Right now, two of our warriors are out there helping Pokemon in desperate need of solitude. When they come back, two more will be sent out to help them."

Spark looked up at the Gardevoir. "So even this place is at war?"  
"Yes, but the Fairy Garden is protected. Nothing evil can enter here." She gave the Dedenne a warm smile. "The war goes on outside this garden while the Pokemon inside it can rest assured they are perfectly safe. We warriors can come and go and help those in need, and we do. "

"That's what I'm saying!" Faith clapped her paws and grinned. "You have a place here, you have rooms. You can come and go and fight this war along side us! Alongside Xerneas!"

Cleo's eyes widened. Fight alongside these Pokemon? Like an army?

"You can train with us," Hope explained. "You just need to rest up from your journey then you'll be ready to learn how to fight the Darkness."

"We've been fighting for years." Spark rubbed a paw over her whiskers. "I think we're trained."  
Faith shook her head. "No, you're not trained."

Spark was about to retort but Faith cut her off.

"You don't know the right attacks," she added.

"Oh?" Spark raised an eyebrow. "My Thunder Wave hasn't failed me yet."

"And while that's a good strategy, how do you take down a Zweillos?" Hope asked. "Dragons resist electricity." She looked at Cleo. "And dark Pokemon are immune to your psychic attacks."

Cleo and Spark both looked at Mischief.

Spark pointed at him. "That's where he comes in."

Mischief inclined his head on one side. "Me? But... I don't want to fight."

"But you can!" Faith grinned. "You're a fairy Pokemon!"  
"Fairy?" Spark and Cleo looked at each other in shock.

"Yup!" Faith chirped. "Part grass, part fairy."

"Is that.. the new type?" Cleo asked.

"New?" Faith laughed and waved a paw. "Fairy Pokemon have been around for years! Those little ones holding the flowers, they're Flabebe. They're pure fairy type. And I myself am part fairy, like Mischief here! And so's Hope!" She nudged the Gardevoir with her elbow.

"Yes." Hope blinked a couple of times as she took in the situation. "I'm surprised you didn't know this."

"No..." Cleo looked down at Mischief. "It's a new thing. No Pokemon we've ran into knows about the fairy type."  
"That's odd." Hope exchanged glances with Faith. "They used to."

"Yeh." Faith turned to look at Cleo. "Xerneas is pure fairy type, and the source of it. He gives us all this power. Pokemon know about Xerneas, don't they?"

Cleo rubbed the back of her head, exchanging silent looks with Spark and Mischief. None of them had heard of Xerneas before they came across the ruined abbey. None of them had even heard of the fairy type before. What was going on?  
"Oh no." Faith put both paws over her mouth. "You never knew?"

"No," said Cleo.

Spark shook her head. "Nope. First time we even saw Xerneas was a picture in a ruined building yesterday."

"Oh..." Faith slumped. "What has the world come to?"

"Let's not lose heart." Hope gave her a pat on the shoulder. "We can teach these Pokemon how to fight alongside us tomorrow. Right now, there's a feast and a dazzle dance to attend."

"Feast?!" Spark leapt into the air. "You mean berries galore?!"  
Faith laughed. "Berries, vegetable stew, cake, juice... I can see you're going to love it!"

"Argh, I've only read about feasts! I've never had one!"

"Okay, well." Faith grinned widely. "Let me show you around the abbey and then we can go to the dinner hall, okay?"  
Spark hopped after the Mawile. "I think I've found new energy!"

...

"Wow. This is a big library."

Cleo and Spark looked up at the walls lined with shelves filled with books. They stretched the entire height of the room. The higher shelves needed a ladder to reach them.

"I don't think I've ever read a book before," said Spark.

"Well these ones are the same size as you," said Cleo.

"I don't care for that comment, Cleo."

"But it's true."

"I know, but I still don't care for it."

The two of them stood transfixed, gazing at the endless rows of shelves. Faith couldn't help chuckling at them.

"I've never been in a library before," said Mischief. "I don't think so, anyway. I don't remember it." He scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"Well, as you can see we're not exactly short on reading material," said Faith. "So help yourselves any time."

Cleo made a thoughtful noise and looked round at the Mawile and Gardevoir. "Is there anything on those stones you're wearing?"

"What, these?" Faith removed the bow from her head and looked down at the stone fastened in it, then back at Cleo. "You've never seen one before, huh?"  
"I have, but I don't know what it is."

"Where have you seen one?" Hope asked. "They're pretty rare."

"Harlequin has one."

"Harlequin?" Hope and Faith exchanged glances.

Hope scratched her head and looked up at the book shelves. "I don't think a Zoruite exists."

"It isn't ringing any bells. Want me to check?" Faith scooted over to the ladder.

"No, no." Hope waved a paw which went unseen by the Mawile. "You don't need to check, I'm pretty sure."  
"Oh, all right." Faith turned back to them and grinned. "Shall we show them, Hope?"  
"You're going to show us?" Mischief almost bounced with glee. "I've only seen it in those tapestries!"

"Hold on, Faith." Hope held up a paw. "I don't think they're ready for this yet. The look of confusion on Cleo's face tells me that much."

"Of course I'm confused," said Cleo. "All this is happening pretty fast. We see a picture of Xerneas and an epic battle the day before and now we're standing in a library in a secret place called The Fairy Garden."

"Firstly, this place isn't secret," said Faith. "At least, it isn't meant to be. Secondly... this is a Mega Stone."

Hope put a paw over her face and sighed. "Faith, I told you they aren't ready."

Faith bounced up and down. "They are so ready, Hope! They're fighting this war!"

"Mega Stone?" Spark's nose twitched. "I've really never heard of them before. Have you?" She looked up at Cleo.

Cleo shook her head. "They change your form, am I right?"

"Yup!" Faith closed her eyes and smiled. "The one I wear is a Mawilite. Hope is wearing a Gardevoirite."

Hope lifted her wrist so the others could see clearly. "Yes, and this bracelet activates it. Mine activates Faith's and vice-versa. We can do it ourselves, but it is more convenient to have a partner as it uses less energy."

"Energy? How does it work?" Cleo asked.

Mischief put his paws together. "Can we see? Please?"

Faith fastened the bow back around her horn. "Well, Hope. The best way to learn is by example."

"Okay, but let's do this in the courtyard. I don't want to knock all the books down."

They followed the Gardevoir out of the library and down a corridor lined with arched windows overlooking a wide courtyard with a decorative gazebo in the centre. A pond reflected the soft sunlight, and a gentle breeze wafted through the lush branches of a delicate willow tree kindly shading a spot by the pond where two Volbeat sat chatting happily.

It was such a stark contrast to the world outside the Fairy Garden. Cleo couldn't help feeling like she was walking in a dream. Any minute, she would wake up and this peaceful world would fade away to be replaced by desolation and war once more.

She shook her head sharply and followed Hope and Faith through an archway out into the courtyard.

"There's more space here," said Hope. "I think we can demonstrate now."

"Yes! Let's hop to it, Hope!" Faith raised her wrist and turned to look at Cleo and the others. "Are you ready for this? Because it might come as a bit of a shock."

Cleo glanced at Spark and Mischief. Spark seemed a little uncertain but Mischief's wide, orange eyes reflected his enthusiasm.

Faith grinned at them and her bracelet began to glow. Hope's lit up alongside it and the two of them were engulfed in a bright light. There was a flash, so bright it dazzled their eyes and Cleo had to shield them with both paws. The sound of shattering glass cut through the tranquil silence. Hope and Faith stood before them again, now significantly altered. The air around them seemed to flicker for a moment, as though it was unsure about touching them, before deciding it was actually safe.

Hope was now almost completely white, the lower half of her body resembling a flowing gown. The fur on her face was longer, curling upwards as though it was defying gravity. The spike on her chest seemed to have been split in two and was sticking out in opposite directions.

Faith was now significantly taller and sported two massive horns, both of which looked like vicious jaws. The left one still had her bow attached to it, detracting from its fierce appearance. Her legs were purple rather than cream, along with her formerly black forearms. If it weren't for her friendly, wide smile, Cleo would have thought she'd been replaced by a completely different Pokemon.

"This is Mega Evolution," she told them. "In these forms, our powers are greatly amplified!"

Cleo and Spark stood with their mouths agape, both of them at a loss for words. The only one who had something to say was Mischief.

"Wow!" he gasped. "And this is how you two fight?!"

Hope smiled warmly. "When we need to."

He flexed his paws a few times and shifted on the spot, glancing nervously around him. Something was bothering him, Cleo knew. But right now, she had no idea what to say to him. She was still reeling from the shock of the two Pokemon's sudden transformation. It had been similar to evolution, but much more intense.

"I think I need to sit down." Spark fell to her bottom in the grass.

Faith chuckled. "I have to admit, I reacted the same way you three have."

"I think they've seen enough." Hope gave a nod and her body shrank into itself until her normal form returned.

"Aww, I guess so." Faith shrank down to her previous height and once again resembled a normal Mawile.

Spark blinked, rubbed her eyes and blinked again. "What? What?"

"It's temporary?" Cleo gasped.

It sounded like a stupid question now she'd voiced it. She didn't know why she hadn't assumed it was temporary. If they'd done it before, and it wasn't, then they wouldn't appear like a standard Gardevoir and Mawile.

Hope and Faith both giggled.

"Yes. It's temporary," said Faith.

Mischief made a little noise that drew the other Pokemons' attention. He looked from Hope to Faith and back.

"Can... can anyone do it?"  
"That remains to be seen," Hope explained. "But if you were wondering about yourself, not yet."

Faith shook her head. "Never seen a Whimsicottite."

Mischief nodded and folded his paws behind his back. "I think I'd like a walk if that's okay?"  
"Okay, but be back soon," Faith told him. "The feast will be starting shortly."

Mischief gave another nod and turned away from them, heading back towards the archway.

Cleo looked back at him. His words and actions had filled her with concern. "Mischief... do you want me to come with you?"

He turned his head to look at her for a moment, then shook it slowly. "No. I'll be okay."

They watched him vanish into the corridor. Once he was out of sight, Faith turned to Cleo.

"Is he all right?"

Cleo shrugged. "I'm honestly not sure."

Spark looked up at her, her black eyes wide with worry. That look alone made Cleo feel like a lead ball had struck the pit of her stomach.

"Cleo... I need to talk to you."

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	25. Promise

**A/N - I think there's enough of you for me to want to post interesting facts about this story. So here's my first one -**

**A few years ago, I started planning a Gijinka Pokemon story (for those unfamiliar with the term, Gijinka are animal characters designed to look like humans). The story has considerably changed somewhat, and only three of those original characters made it over to this one - Harlequin, Harbinger and Enigma.**

**I initially thought that Banette had a weird pompom thing on his head, which I later discovered is actually his tail. So when I designed his human character, he had a spiky bell on his hat. I made a hat-tip to this by giving Enigma a hidden bell.**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

25 – Promise

A bell's erratic ringing cut through the silent night air of the vast plane as Enigma staggered through the grass, retracing his steps towards where he'd encountered Harlequin. His energy had been restored sufficiently enough to allow him to move at least. However, he had no intention of engaging in combat. Everything hurt. He knew those Pokemon were no longer there, which filled him with enough relief to brave the journey back to the Moorland's Forest.

The Heretics. That's who he was after.

Rio had kept something from him, and he had every intention of finding out what it was.

Hopefully the trip back would grant him with enough time to gather his strength. He hardly expected his encounter with the Heretics to be a pleasant one after destroying their Tyranitar.

The shadows provided enough shelter for him, obscuring him from view of any Pokemon that might be lurking near by. His bell also served as a warning should anyone be passing through. However, if any Pokemon saw him in his current state they likely wouldn't hesitate to finish him off. His reputation was hardly a good one.

A dry chuckle escaped his throat. Assassins weren't thought highly of amongst their own kin, never mind those that feared them.

His foot caught in a snare of thin, spindly roots causing his breath to catch painfully in his throat and he cursed loudly. Those annoying things had almost been the death of him on his journey back. He was too tired to warp and there weren't enough trees to hop along the canopy, not that he could manage that in his state.

That stupid Whimsicott.

He untangled his foot and stumbled on. The end of the plane was in sight. A massive wall covered in ivy faced him now. A high wall.

A high, intriguing wall.

He stared up at it, considering using what was left of his strength to warp onto it and see what was on the other side.

He stumbled over the grass, snatching his feet from the death-trap of stringy roots, and finally reached the wall. It was almost completely covered in ivy, and moving it revealed nothing more than cold, damp stone. A massive wall that was three times his height. From this angle there was no indication what lay beyond it.

It was maddeningly intriguing.

He stared up at it again, trying to summon the energy and motivation to scale it. It might provide shelter, somewhere to get some more rest after battling those roots and struggling all the way back across the plane.

Nope. He was much too tired to scale that wall.

He turned away, instead deciding to go around it.

...

Cleo and Spark sat with hundreds of other Pokemon around a massive banquet table. It wasn't the only one in the great hall either. All tables were filled with so much food Spark's eyes couldn't take it all in. It was the first time Cleo had ever seen the Dedenne struggle to fill her plate as she was so spoilt for choice she didn't know where to begin.

Cleo didn't have such a problem. She'd lost her appetite.

_'I think we've all noticed Mischief is seeming a little off?' Spark asked._

_'Yes, I'm getting a little worried.'_

_'He told me he doesn't want anyone to die, Cleo.'_

_Cleo stared down at the Dedenne. She seemed distracted. It was clear she was concerned about Mischief. She couldn't deny she was concerned herself._

_'He has no memories of it, Cleo,' Spark went on. 'He told me he doesn't even notice when it happens. It just does.' She paused. 'He thinks he shouldn't fight any more.'_

_Then it hit Cleo. That one thing he'd said that she'd missed before. 'But... I don't want to fight.' It was when Faith had pointed out he was a fairy Pokemon. Spark had pointed out he could take out dragon and dark type Pokemon._

_And those words had gone straight over their heads._

_'What do we do?' Cleo asked her._

_'We help him,' said Spark. 'As best we can.'_

_Cleo stared at Spark for a moment, her mind searching for a solution. But Spark beat her to the punch._

_'We find a cure.'_

A cure.

Cleo stared down at her empty plate. Did such a thing exist? No one had tried to make a cure for Pokerus. There'd been no point. Catching it was a blessing. It granted strength. Those who had Pokerus were hunted down by other Pokemon that also wanted it. Some had tried to make a living by passing it on, but it never remained contagious for long. The benefits always stayed, but the contagion went away.

Mischief had got the short end of the stick. He'd been given a Pokerus virus that had made him ill. Stronger, yes. But ill. He suffered with it.

And there was no cure.

"Cleo!" Faith loomed in over her shoulder. "You've not touched your vegetable soup!"

"Oh..." Cleo looked up from her plate at the still steaming bowl of soup. "Oh, sorry. I'm... not very hungry."

"Really?" Faith turned round in her seat to look at her. "Are you not feeling well?"  
Cleo let out a long sigh. "I'm just... thinking."

"If you're worried about your friend, I can understand that. He's not back yet."

Faith craned her neck to look over the table at the doors to the great hall. There was no sign of Mischief. Cleo had shrugged it off until now. Where had he got to?

"Maybe he got talking to someone?" Spark suggested. She stuffed a berry in her mouth.

It was a possibility, but given his current state of mind, it wasn't the most likely scenario. Cleo might have thought so a few days ago, but not any more.

She pushed herself away from the table and turned to leave.

"Oh don't go alone!" Faith followed after her. "If you need friends, then-"

"Faith." Cleo turned to face her, her tone taking the Mawile by surprise. She softened her tone and faked a smile. "Sorry, Faith. I can understand you're concerned about me, but really. I'm fine. I just want to look for him alone."

The Mawile hesitated for a moment then nodded. "Okay. But if you need me, I'll be here with Spark."

Cleo looked over at the Dedenne. Her cheeks were full to bursting but the look of concern in her eyes was plain to see.

Cleo smiled. "You wait here, Spark. Finish your dinner."

Spark tried to respond with an 'okay' that came out as more of a 'mmkf' and turned back to her plate.

Cleo cut her way between the large tables and made for the double-doors. They were wide open, leading out into the courtyard. It was far from empty. Volbeat and Illumise were getting ready for their performance, lining the courtyard with chairs and decorating the gazebo. Several of them gave her a friendly wave as she passed which she politely returned.

The corridor was empty, the low light of dusk breaking through the narrow windows which created intermittent shadows along the floor. Normally such a scenario would make her feel nervous, but the Fairy Garden was safe, free from any dangers. For the first time in her life, she appreciated the beauty of dusk. She could see the scattered stars through the windows, spreading across a dark blue sky. The moon wasn't quite full, occasionally vanishing behind a cloud.

When she finally exited the long corridor she found herself standing on an open plane. The orchard was on her left, and a stretch of flower beds on her right. She had no idea where to find Mischief amongst all this. The Fairy Garden was huge; in fact it appeared endless.

She stood, staring across the flower beds. In the distance not too far away she could make out a lake with large trees one one side of it. She'd not seen that area yet, so she decided to give it a try. If Mischief wasn't there, she could just keep looking, and sight see on the way.

The flower beds were empty. In fact, the entire outside was. All Pokemon were in the abbey or the dining hall, so it was incredibly quiet. Her footsteps sounded oddly loud on the soft grass and she had to remind herself she didn't need to adjust her footing. She had no reason to move quietly anymore, not here.

As she drew closer to the lake she could make out a small shape underneath one of the trees, sat cast in shadow. She squinted at it, trying to make it out. There was no mistaking it. She kept going at her normal pace until she finally stopped beside it.

"We missed you at dinner."

Mischief looked up at her then back at the lake. "Sorry, I'm not hungry."  
Cleo flopped down to the floor next to him and stared out at the lake. The stars were reflected off the still surface, making it look like a liquid sky.

"I like it here."  
Cleo glanced at him. He was staring ahead into nothing with an almost dreamy expression on his face.

"I think we all do," said Cleo. "It's peaceful."

There was a long pause, and Cleo found her eyes drawn to the surface of the lake again. She couldn't get over how peaceful it was. It was just like those tapestries – Pokemon living peacefully together, playing together, eating together. Not scattered or broken into groups. Not running from every shadow. Not rushing indoors at the first sign of nightfall.

"I think I might stay."

She snapped to look round at Mischief. He was now looking down at his paws resting in his lap.

"You... want to stay?" she asked.

"Yes. Don't you?"

"Yes. I do, but..." She looked back out at the lake again. But what? But there's a war? But we have to fight? But we need you to fight Hydreigon with us? She grit her teeth. That last one sounded so selfish.

"I don't need to fight here." His voice came out meek and small.

Cleo closed her eyes as she felt something inside her twinge.

"If I stay here, there's no need to fight," he went on. "I can't keep fighting, it makes me a monster."

The problem was he enjoyed fighting. She saw it on his face. Cheerful, naïve. The tests run on Tinker's machine were still fresh in her mind. It was fun to him.

She sighed. "You enjoy it though, don't you?"

"I did." He paused. "Not any more. Now it scares me."  
"Because you're scared of going mad?"  
"Because I'm scared of hurting you."

Cleo jumped at those words. She span her head round to look at him, but he was still staring down at his paws.

"Or Spark," he added. "Or anyone. I don't want to hurt anyone."

Cleo looked down at her own paws. She didn't know what to say.

"I killed that Noivern," Mischief went on. "Me. I did it. I didn't see what it looked like afterwards, but I have nightmares. I can't sleep at night because I get this horrible image of it looking like those Seviper. Mangled and unrecognisable. It haunts me."

He paused, unconsciously giving Cleo the time to let all that sink in.

"I'd never forgive myself if I hurt you," he said quietly.

They sat in silence, both of them watching the lake as a breeze passed over it, stirring up the water into gentle ripples and distorting the twinkling stars on the surface.

"Spark says you want to find a cure," said Cleo.

Mischief glanced at her. "That's all I'm hanging onto right now."

Cleo closed her eyes, feeling her heart sink into her stomach. She hid it behind a small smile.

"Then we'll find one," she said. "And we'll bring it back here for you."

"Thanks Cleo." He gave her a sad smile and leant his head back against the tree. "I'll miss you, but I think you're safer if I just stay here."

Cleo crossed her arms to hug herself, not taking her eyes off the lake. She could feel them welling up, and she didn't want to show it.

Safer... if it weren't for him, her and Spark would be dead by now. She had a lot to thank him for.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	26. Preparing for Battle

**A/N - Thanks again to new subscribers, followers and readers! **

**Like I said a couple of days ago, this may be the last update for a week until we're back home. So unless we can get internet on holiday, the next update will likely be 10th August. But you never know, so keep an eye open for updates anyway!**

**In response to a review asking if the Gijinka story may be happening at some point, no. I did scrap that idea, and I don't really want to use the same characters in two stories, especially as there are some major similarities. The plots are different but some things remain the same. For example, Harlequin and Enigma were still assassins - Harle using poisons and Enigma gathering intel. But Harlequin's target was Harbinger, not the other way around.**

**Another interesting fact, sometimes this story writes itself. I'll be typing away with no solid plan, then the events take a turn and something happens that even surprises me...**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters! **

26 – Preparing for Battle

Harbinger had completely lost track of Harlequin and his friends. This bothered him.

He grit his teeth and turned his back on the narrow trail to retrace his steps through the Endless Woods. Like Scratch and Claw, he was immune to the effects of the Gardevoirs' enchantment. Getting back out would be no problem at all.

He just couldn't get his head around it. They'd entered the woods, hadn't they? He'd not seen them since they passed through the trees. He'd kept out of the way so as to avoid being seen, but they'd completely eluded him. Where had they gone?

Backtracking was all he could do now. Backtrack and follow the scent trail.

No.

Harbinger froze, staring blindly at the ground.

Backtracking was pointless. This wood was vast. They could be anywhere. He didn't know where they were going, what their destination was or what it was they were even out to do. But he knew these woods. He knew the surrounding areas. If they were going to go anywhere...

He looked back over his shoulder and the Pawniard twins copied him, Scratch rubbing his claws together while crouching slightly behind his brother.

On the other side of these woods were more mountains, rising high and capped with a thick layer of snow. At this time of year, the snowfall would be increasing. If they'd gone up there, then they may well end up caught in a blizzard.

And he dealt well with blizzards.

He smirked and turned back to head towards the mountains. Their only other option was a hazardous field of thistles that ended at a Heretic settlement with a fantastic view of the mountains. They wouldn't have gone that way if they knew what was good for them. Even he didn't know what was beyond there. No sooner had he set eyes on it he'd triggered a landslide, destroying their village. It was too dangerous to venture while the land was still unsettled.

...

"Cleo?"  
Cleo tore her eyes off the ceiling. Spark was standing in the doorway to their room, her large black eyes wide with concern.

"You missed the Dazzle Dance," the Dedenne said.

"Sorry, I wasn't in the mood." Cleo turned her head to look back at the ceiling.

She was lay on her back on the bed of hay, her arms spread-eagled at her side. It was how she'd landed when she came back indoors, and she'd barely moved except to wipe tears from her face.

Spark had clearly noticed the salty trails in her fur because she'd strutted over and fallen back against her shoulder with a hefty sigh for a Pokemon her size.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Come on, tell me."

Cleo rubbed a paw over her forehead. "Mischief wants to stay here."

Spark jolted in surprise. "Oh!" She looked up at Cleo. "Oh dear. Why's that?"

"I think it's obvious."  
"Yeh." Spark's shoulders sagged. "Still, I'm a little surprised." She paused. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know." Cleo sighed and stared up at the ornate ceiling, for the first time taking in the intricate paintings of singing Altaria dancing around a sun. "Go back to New City I guess."  
"Tinker isn't gonna be very happy."  
"Well we can't fight the Darkness alone, Spark."

"It's not stopped us before."  
"I guess we could go back to doing missions?" Cleo closed her eyes, a sharp stab of fear running through her chest. They couldn't go back to doing missions. They had a price on their heads. Harlequin had been sent after them, Enigma had tried to kill them, all because Mischief had killed Boomer.

Harlequin was now with them, Enigma was greatly wounded. That meant they might have more of Hydreigon's aces sent after them.

That meant they might have to face off against The Wildfires...

Cleo's eyes snapped back open and she felt her heart pound violently against her ribs.

Spark shifted and looked back at her. "Cleo? Are you all right?"

"No." Cleo sat up and rubbed her eyes with both paws. "We're in a lot of trouble, Spark."  
"We're not, Cleo." Spark hopped onto her knee to look her in the face. "We're not because like Mischief we can stay here. We don't have to go back to New City."  
"But there's a war, Spark. So many Pokemon are still fighting for their lives out there."

"But we're just two." Spark spread her paws and shrugged. "Just two. Against... hundreds... thousands..."

Two. Just two.

Cleo closed her eyes, her breath coming in heavy bursts as the image of a burning wood filled her mind. A wood filled with Meowstic and Dedenne amongst many other Pokemon, swiftly overrun by a pack of vicious Houndour lead by a fierce Houndoom.

There had been hundreds of Pokemon in that wood and most of them had been wiped out in one day.

Just two. What could she and Spark do?

"Hey."

They both looked round at the door as Cleo tried to calm her breathing. Faith stood smiling at them, one paw on the door-frame. Harlequin stood behind her, her head turning in all directions as though the building was just too much to take in.

"I heard some heated discussion back there." Faith inclined her head on one side and narrowed her eyes at Cleo. "Are you okay?"  
Cleo sighed and rubbed a paw across her eyes. Tears had started to leak out again and for some reason she was a little embarrassed to let Faith see it.

"How much did you hear?" she asked the Mawile.

"Enough to say one thing." Faith strolled inside and folded both paws behind her back, leaning towards Cleo and Spark with a wide smile. "Just two can make a difference."  
"But..." Spark looked up at her. "But... the type advantage isn't-"  
"Type advantage?" Faith chuckled. "Nonsense! What matters is not backing down." She straightened but kept her paws clasped behind her back. "You might be just two, but you are two members in a massive army. And that army needs you."

Cleo looked up at her. "What about Mischief?"  
"We're all in that army." Faith smiled. "Anyway, I came here to drop Harlequin off, and to tell you Xerneas wants to see you all first thing tomorrow. Get some sleep, okay?"

Cleo and Spark stared open-mouthed at the Mawile.

"He wants to see us?" Spark asked.

"Yup!" Faith grinned and reversed out of the room. "Sleep, okay?"

"Sure." Spark stared at the door as Faith vanished out of sight.

Harlequin paced slowly across the room to stop at the window, staring out at the Fairy Garden. She said nothing, but she didn't look afraid any more. Overwhelmed would have been the better word to use.

Cleo looked away from her to look down at Spark still perched on her knee. Both of them were thinking the same thing. Xerneas wanted to see them, but about what?

Spark blinked her large eyes and yawned widely. "Faith's right. We need to sleep."

"Yes. I'll try." Cleo let Spark hop to the floor before lying down on the soft, fresh hay.

She closed her eyes, worrying that sleep wouldn't come. However, she was just drifting off when Harlequin's voice cut through the silence.

"The world's a mess... isn't it?"  
Cleo's eyes cracked open and she stared at the wall. Did those words really just come from the Zorua?  
She looked over her shoulder. Harlequin was still by the window, but she'd curled up on the floor, her back to them. Had she imagined it?

Regardless, she ventured a reply. "Yes. It is."

When Harlequin didn't reply, Cleo turned back to the wall. Maybe she'd imagined it after all?  
Harlequin let out a strangled noise that could have been a sob. "A real mess."

...

No matter how much Hope and Faith urged them, Cleo couldn't eat a thing that morning. Spark had her usual nervous eating marathon, still stuffing a berry into her mouth as they trotted after Faith to the library. There had been no sign of Mischief, but Faith had assured Cleo that he'd be there.

They turned out of the external corridor into a garden with a fountain in the middle of it. It was smaller than the courtyard and separated the abbey from its adjoining library. They had to follow the cobbled path across it to the library's huge double doors.

Outside the library, Xerneas was waiting for them. Mischief was already there, standing silently beside the majestic Pokemon.

As they approached, Hope and Faith came to a stop and bowed deeply. Cleo and Spark bowed automatically, even Harlequin bowed low taking Cleo by surprise. When they stood, Xerneas smiled down at them.

"You hadn't heard of the Fairy Garden before entering the ruined abbey." He spoke matter-of-factly.

Cleo shook her head. "No, we hadn't."

"The fairy type is new to you, yet you already know it is much more powerful than dark and dragon Pokemon."  
All they could do was nod, and Cleo found herself rubbing her paws together. Xerneas smiled at them and looked at the library door.

"I want to show you how to use the fairy type's power to fight against the Darkness."  
"But..." Spark paused and glanced at her feet. "But we're not fairy Pokemon."

"No, not all of you have the fairy type, but you can still use it's power." He looked at Harlequin. "No matter how much practice you think it might take, you will manage it and succeed in this war."

Spark's mouth dropped open. "You have that much faith in us?"

Hope and Faith jumped at her words, but Xerneas smiled down at her.

"Do you have faith in me?" he asked.

Spark diverted her gaze from him briefly. "You defeated that... thing called Yvel, right?"  
"Yveltal. Yes, I did." He turned to the library doors and pushed them open. "If you are to fight in my army, then go inside. There is a training room in the back. There you shall find the Pokemon you will be training with."  
Cleo wanted to ask why a training room was in the back of a library, but she didn't question it. Instead, she followed Xerneas inside.

They followed the path through the tidy, massive towering book cases and wide, heavy tables. A winding flight of stairs stretched up to the second floor above them. Xerneas craned his head to look up at a large table by the top of the stairs.

"Reshiram."  
An elegant white dragon Pokemon with feathered wings looked down at them. Cleo let out a strangled gasp.

"Don't worry," Xerneas told them. "Reshiram is a dragon in search of truth. As such, he found me and has been in the Fairy Garden for many years."

Faith clapped her paws together. "Yes! He helps in training Xerneas's army!"

"That I do." The massive white dragon leapt over the stair rail and landed beside them.

He towered over Cleo, but his face was warm and friendly. She felt herself relax and let her arms hang at her side.

"Are you needing my help?" Reshiram asked Xerneas.

"Yes, we are training these Pokemon here." He looked at Cleo and Spark in turn. "Cleo here is going to learn disarming voice. Spark will learn play rough." He smiled at Hope and Faith. "You two are both experts in these moves. I shall leave them in your hands. I shall see you again after lunch."

Xerneas turned and left the library, the double doors closing behind him.

"Well." Reshiram waved a paw at a large door at the back of the library. "Shall we get started?"

They followed the dragon across the library, his large feet barely making any sound on the wooden floor. He threw the door open and ducked inside.

Cleo followed Hope and Faith inside the room, and was a little taken aback. The room was huge with bare walls. The only decoration was on the ceiling, another painting of a bright sun with Altaria singing around it. This one had more detail to it though. The sun was the light coming off Xerneas's antlers, and the edge of the ceiling was decorated with intricate, fine flowers and curled leaves.

The far wall was dotted with huge punching bags held firmly on heavy stands. They were clearly designed to take a great deal of power.

Faith strolled over to one of them. "Okay, we'll demonstrate what these attacks look like and then you try." She flashed a smile at Cleo and Spark.

"So we learn from example?" Spark scratched her chin. "Am I the only one who thought that because this was a library we were going to learn through books?"

Reshiram laughed. "No, Pokemon do think that when they come in here, it's all purely academic. Personally I requested this training room built here because I spend a lot of time in the library."  
"A lot of time?" Faith chided. "You're in here all the time!"  
"Are you saying when we were in this library yesterday he was in here?" Spark pointed at the white dragon.

"Yes," said Faith.

Spark blinked. "So I just overlooked a massive white dragon? … all right..."

Cleo looked down at Spark and shook her head. "I didn't see him either," she whispered.

Faith clapped loudly. "Okay! Watch this! I'll be asking you to copy me after." She winked at Spark.

Turning her back to the punching bag, Faith lurched backwards and grabbed it in the massive jaws of her horn. She shook it violently and let go, letting the back swing side to side dramatically on its stand.

She flashed Spark a grin. "You try!"

"But..." Spark stared at the punching bag. "I don't have a second jaw, let alone one big enough to bite that thing!"  
Faith laughed heartily. "It's called play rough! How would a baby Pokemon play with its friends?"

Spark made a thoughtful noise and approached the still-swinging punching bag. She looked down at one of her paws and flexed her claws, then back at the target. With a powerful leap, she pounced at it and dug her claws in... then latched on to the bag as it swung back and forth, her long tail streaming out behind her.

Faith doubled over laughing. "Oh dear! That bag's a little big for you isn't it?"

"Hey!" Spark snapped. "If I weren't clinging on for dear life right now, you'd be sparking all over!"

The swinging bag was caught in a wave of psychic energy and came to an abrupt halt. Hope plucked Spark from its surface and set her down on the floor.

"It was a valiant effort, but you have to remember your striking an enemy, not playing with a sibling."

"Also," Reshiram raised a claw, "you're not striking an inanimate object either. The bag is your enemy."  
"Okay! Let me try again." Spark braced herself and lunged at the punching bag.

She struck the surface of it and hung on as it swung wildly forwards, then swung back with as much force, causing the Dedenne to lose her grip and go flying across the room with a wail of surprise.

Cleo thought fast and caught her in a psychic bubble, lowering her gently to the floor.

Harlequin fell to the floor in fits of laughter so hard she was barely able to breathe.

Spark huffed. "Well I'd like to see _you_ do any better!"

"Fine!" Harlequin chuckled as she clambered to her feet.

Facing the punching bag, she dived at it with tooth and claw bared, latching on and snarling as she tugged on the fabric of the bag, swinging it violently as she tried to pull it free from its stand.

"A good effort," Faith told her. "But that is closer to foul play than play rough."

"What's the difference?" Harlequin's voice was muffled by the bag.

"Foul play is a dark attack executed out of malice."

Harlequin released the bag and Faith smiled at her.

"Play rough is more naïve in nature," the Mawile went on. "But performed with purpose. It can either be used by younger Pokemon playing together, or by warriors taking down foes several times their size."

Spark's eyes widened. "Hang on a second! You mean like-" She lunged at Harlequin, bowling the Zorua over. She struck her with her paws while trying to dodge the Zorua's flailing limbs.

"Hey!" Harlequin barked. "What are you- get off!"

Hope plucked Spark from the Zorua's body. Harlequin flipped herself over onto her front and snarled at Spark.

"Yes." Hope set Spark down on the ground. "Exactly like that. But why attack Harlequin?"

"Yes, why?!" Harlequin barked.

Spark shrugged. "I could land on you better than that swinging bag."

Harlequin growled and looked away.

Cleo was speechless. She stared dumbfounded at the Dedenne. That attack was all too familiar.

"Methods aside, you learn fast!" Faith beamed at her. "I'm impressed!"  
What neither of them noticed was that Spark was staring in Mischief's direction. The Whimsicott was oblivious however, instead watching the other Pokemon with mere fascination.

Learning from example... Spark hadn't learned that move from Faith... she'd learned it from Mischief. Cleo covered her mouth and looked away.

Hope was facing one of the punching bags now. She spread her arms and let out a yell. A pink shock wave shot out from her, spreading out and striking three of the punching bags hard.

"Disarming voice." She turned to Cleo. "Now you try."

Cleo copied her exactly. Spreading her arms and letting out a yell.

Nothing.

"Just what I expected." Hope gave her a smile. "Disarming voice aims to disarm your opponent – to take them by surprise. Xerneas gave us these attacks to defeat his enemies. With his power, we can wipe out the Darkness. Remember that and try again."

Cleo nodded. Wipe out his enemies. With Xerneas's power.

She spread her arms and tried again, letting out another yell. Almost on impulse her ears unfurled. But instead of psychic energy a pink shock wave went out from them, expanding and hitting three of the punching bags.

Cleo stared, wide-eyed at the swaying bags.

"You did it!" Faith leapt into the air and cheered. "Well done!"

"Yes, well done." Reshiram loomed over her and grinned. "Now, as per your training, you are to try those attacks on me!"  
"Are you kidding?!" Spark wailed. "You're a dragon, won't they hurt you?!"

"Of course, if I take a barrage of them!" Reshiram laughed. "I volunteered for this, and I wouldn't have done so if I didn't think I could do it. I've helped train hundreds of Pokemon in my time in the Fairy Garden. Helping Xerneas is what I do." He straightened and took two large steps backwards. "Now... Spark first, then Cleo."

Spark strolled towards the large white dragon. Compared to him, she didn't even come higher than one of his rear claws. She braced herself and lunged at his ankle, landing on his foot and demonstrating that vicious attack.

Reshiram chuckled. "Okay. You can stop that now."

Spark hopped off his foot and stared up at him as best she could. "How was it?"

"It needs work but certainly has potential."

"Potential?" Spark scratched her head. "What does that mean?"  
"It means you have potential to take down larger foes." He smiled.

"Huh." Spark nodded. "I'll take it." She turned and strolled past Cleo. "You're next."

Cleo looked up at Reshiram and he gave her a nod.

On that cue, she unleashed her disarming voice. It struck Reshiram in the chest and he flinched.

"Okay. Not bad." He grinned. "You two really do learn fast." He looked at Mischief. "What can you do?"

"Erm..." Mischief shook his head. "I'm not here to fight."

"Nonsense!" Faith trotted over to him. "You're part fairy! Come on, show us what you can do!"

Mischief sighed. "Okay fine, but just this once okay?"

"Once is all we need!" Faith grinned.

Mischief moved until he was standing before Reshiram. He closed his eyes and took in a steadying breath. Then, he threw his arms open and that dazzling purple light shot out and struck the white dragon, sending him rolling backwards into the wall with an almighty crash.

Faith covered her mouth with both paws and fell to her bottom. Hope raced past her to check on the dragon, crouching down beside him. She looked back at Faith.

"He's out cold."

"No!" Faith shot to her feet and raced out of the library.

Mischief took a step back, then another, then ran from the library as fast as he could.

"Mischief!" Cleo took off after him, leaving a gob-smacked Spark and Harlequin standing rooted to the spot.

...

**Nope. I didn't expect that to happen either!**

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	27. The Next Step

**A/N - I'm uploading this a day earlier than planned. Firstly - I'm being a little impatient. I tried to upload it while on holiday but the internet was quite slow and was having none of it. Secondly - we have a busy day tomorrow so if I leave it until then it may end up being quite late in the day as I prefer to upload in the morning. The next update will be Friday as normal =3**

**In case anyone is interested, I've updated my profile to include upcoming fanfics. One of them is already in the works.**

**An interesting fact for this update... if this fanfic were to have an opening theme, it would be 'The End is Where We Begin' by Thousand Foot Crutch. Also interestingly, I didn't hear that song until I was well into writing this! My playlist for this fanfic is quite big and there are several songs by Thousand Foot Crutch that help inspire this story. Other bands include Red, Nine Lashes and some Pokemon remixes by GlitchCity.**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

27 – The Next Step

"Did you see his face?" Harlequin paced back and forth behind Spark. "That look he had?"  
"Yes." Spark was sitting watching Hope helplessly as she busied herself trying to get Reshiram into a comfortable position. "Yes, I saw his face."

"He regretted it!" Harlequin exclaimed. "When he attacked Enigma he looked manic, but this time it's like he didn't want to attack, and doing so was devastating!" She paused to look at Reshiram, then continued pacing restlessly. "What's wrong with him? Doesn't he know his own strength?"  
"No," Spark said bluntly. "But he's learning."

"He doesn't know his own strength?" Hope looked up at them. "How is that so?"  
"He has Pokerus," Spark explained. "And not by choice." She paused as she took in the Gardevoir's look of concern. "He doesn't have any memories, doesn't know the name of his attacks and..."

"And?"  
"Well, you know. You saw what happened." She shrugged. "He's scared of hurting others, this will have crushed him."

"Yes, I can imagine. He needs to learn how to control that power." She paused. "Does he know any other moves?"  
"Energy ball," said Spark. "And that fairy move – play rough – that I learned earlier."

"Play rough?!" Hope snapped her head round to look at her. "That's illegal on a Whimsicott!" She ran a paw over her head. "How has he learned that without being in the Fairy Garden?"

"Illegal move?!" Spark gasped. "Well, I'm guessing he got it from the Heretics. He's... an experiment of theirs. I don't know the details, but they've tampered with him." She paused. "Clearly more than we're aware."

"Where is he?!" The door flew open and a panicked Audino ran in, followed by Faith. The Audino spotted the large dragon instantly and dropped down at his side. She grabbed his head in her arms and held him to her chest. A pulsating light throbbed out of her and thrummed in the air like an amplified heart beat.

"Will he be okay?" Harlequin asked quietly. She'd finally sat down, watching the Audino intently.

"He'll be fine." Faith gave her a smile.

Harlequin blushed and shifted uneasily, diverting her attention away from the scene. Spark wondered if she'd even intended to ask the question.

"Did you find Mischief?" Hope asked Faith.

Faith shook her head. "No. I went to get Joy." She nodded at the Audino. "There's no sign of them around the library."

Hope looked up at her. "It might be a good idea to find them and make sure he's okay."

"I'd give them time." Spark stood in front of Faith to block the door. "It might just upset him more."

"But we're not angry with him," Faith explained. "We know an accident when we see it."

"Yes but..." Spark rubbed her paws together and shifted uneasily. "To be honest, it might be a good idea to tell him that. Go ahead." She stood aside.

Faith smiled. "Why don't you come with me? You're his friend, right?"

Spark nodded at Harlequin. "I'm watchin' her. Last thing he needs is her there."

Harlequin flashed her canines. "I'm not going to chide him!"  
"You did the last time!" Spark bristled.

"Oh my." The voice came from Reshiram.

They turned to look at the fallen dragon. He pushed himself up with one of his wings and fixed them with his blue eyes.

"Why are you arguing?" he asked.

"He's up!" Hope cheered.

Joy clapped her paws. "Oh, thank goodness!"

Reshiram was still watching Spark and Harlequin curiously. He inclined his head on one side and cleared his throat.

"Where is that... Whimsicott friend of yours?"  
"He ran away," Faith said sadly. "He feels rather guilty."

"Ran away?" Reshiram tried to push himself to his feet but Joy stopped him. "Well, I'd like to speak to him. That was the most powerful dazzling gleam I've ever felt!"

"You're not annoyed?" Spark squeaked with surprise.

"Annoyed?" Reshiram laughed. "Why, young Dedenne, I'm not remotely annoyed! I'm rather impressed!" He paused and gave her a smile. "Besides, I'm the one who asked him to hit me in the first place."  
Spark crinkled her nose. "That's true."

"Let's go get him!" Faith scooped up Spark with one paw causing her to let out a little yell, and grabbed Harlequin by the back of her collar.

"Why are you dragging me along?" Harlequin growled.

"He's our friend, right? So it's only right we help him!"  
"He's not _my_ friend!"

Faith scurried out of the library, ignoring the Zorua's protests.

"She's a wild one, that one." Reshiram pushed himself into a sitting position and leant back against the wall.

Hope sat back and looked at him. "Xerneas bought her here to be trained with you yesterday, didn't he?"

"Yes."

"Any success?"

Reshiram smiled down at her. "A dark Pokemon entering the Fairy Garden is a huge success in itself. It means things are changing." He chuckled. "Right now, she's scared and confused. I remember how scared I was when I first entered here. Once she settles, she'll be fine."

"It's too dangerous for me to even stay here, isn't it?"  
Mischief had been sitting quietly for a while now and his voice startled Cleo a little. She stared down at her paws wordlessly.

They were sitting under a tree a few yards away from the lake. It was now filled with water Pokemon and she could just see little Azurill playing on the bank supervised by an Azumarill.

Not fighting, just playful splashes in the water. They had no need to fight amongst each other. It was peaceful, as always.

She looked up at Mischief briefly. "No."

He shrugged. "But I'm a monster."

"For the last time, you're not a monster."

"But I didn't want to fight," Mischief told her. "Yet one attack from me, and I hurt Reshiram!"

"He asked you to attack him with a fairy move," said Cleo. "He's a dragon. Of course it would have hurt him."

"Your attack didn't hurt him like mine did."

"It hurt him enough to make him flinch."

"I don't even want to make anyone flinch." Mischief sighed and stared out at the lake. "When I woke up near the Outcast Town I had no idea what the world was like, or myself. Now I've found out the world is a mess, and I'm a mess. I just hurt everyone."

"Mischief." Cleo grabbed him by the shoulder and gave him a shake. "When I first met you, you were a friendly, playful nuisance. Seeing the world has depressed you. I have to admit, I've been worried. Now you've said you want to stay here, where it's peaceful and I agree. Here, you don't have to fight so you can go back to being a friendly, playful nuisance. Okay?"

Mischief gave her a sideways glance. "Nuisance?"

"Yep!" Faith leaned over him and Cleo almost leapt to her feet.

"Where did you come from?" she gasped.

Faith chuckled and sat down next to Mischief. "You caused quite the stir back there! I've never seen a dazzling gleam that strong before!"

Mischief crossed his paws. "Well you won't need to see it again because I'm not fighting any more."

Spark plopped down into the grass beside Cleo, and she watched Harlequin stroll past them and sit a couple of feet away to watch the Azurill by the lake. Cleo glanced at Mischief and sighed. So, they now had an audience. She'd have to continue this conversation later.

"Not fighting?" Faith gasped. "But you have all that talent!"

Cleo shook her head at Faith and when the Mawile noticed, her face fell a little.

"But, you don't have to use it," she added. "If it upsets you, then it's just going to be soul crushing."

Mischief nodded. "It doesn't just upset me though. It upsets others."

Harlequin turned her head to look at him. She licked her lips thoughtfully and looked away.

"I believe you," she said.

"Believe what?" Mischief asked.

"You said you didn't mean to hurt Enigma," she explained. "I believe you."

Mischief looked down at his paws. "I wanted him to stop hurting my friends, but I didn't want to-"

"I know."

"Enigma?" Faith asked. "Isn't that one of Hydreigon's assassins?"

"Yes," said Cleo. "He's been sent after us."  
"Goodness!" Faith covered her mouth with a paw. "What for?"

Mischief covered his face with his paws and leant back against the tree.

A look of realisation crossed Faith's face and she looked away from him. "Oh..."

Cleo wondered if she had heard of the recent events to put two and two together, or if she'd just accepted Mischief had done something that had caused Hydreigon to unleash his assassins after them. Before she could enquire, a large shadow was cast over them and they looked up to see Xerneas standing over them with Reshiram and Hope. They automatically dipped their heads in a respectful bow.

"You're okay!" Mischief gasped. "I'm so sorry, Reshiram, I-"

Reshiram waved a wing in dismissal and grinned. "It's no problem, Mischief. I'm actually very impressed with your strength!"

Mischief shifted and looked down at his paws. The look on his face showed he wasn't impressed with his own strength at all.

"You don't realise the strength you have," Xerneas told him. "That dazzling gleam you used was strong enough to take down Reshiram."

"I know," Mischief said sadly.

"It's nothing to be sad about, Mischief. Your skills will be very useful in this war."

"But I don't want to fight."  
"Not even to wipe out the Darkness and bring more Pokemon to the Fairy Garden?"

Mischief stared up at him but said nothing.

Xerneas smiled. "I have a request of you. You've all learned how to use the fairy power during your time here, and I'd like you to go out and use that power to fight against the Darkness."

"All of us?" Cleo looked over at Harlequin who returned her look with one of sheer shock.

"Yes. All of you." Xerneas looked from one to the other. "You all have your own strengths and weaknesses, but when situations seem to be turning dire, those weaknesses can become your greatest strengths." He paused as he looked at Mischief. "Will you go out and fight, and help bring more lost Pokemon to the Fairy Garden?"

"I..." Cleo paused and scratched her head. "Actually, we have assassins after us. That's how we found her." She nodded at Harlequin. "She's a prisoner, she's not our ally."

Xerneas looked back at Harlequin and smiled warmly. "Young Zorua, that Absolite you're wearing around your neck."

Harlequin looked down at the stone just visible under her ruff of black fur.

"When you return that to the Pokemon it belongs to, send him back here and I'll teach him how to use it."

Harlequin looked up at Xerneas. "But... he's dead..."

Xerneas smiled down at her.

Harlequin's blue eyes widened. "He's alive?"  
"He's alive."  
"He's alive!" Harlequin leapt to her feet. "Then... I should go and find him!"  
"Wait."

Harlequin froze, staring at Xerneas transfixed.

"He's just one of many Pokemon I'd like you to send back here. However, it won't be safe for any of you. Particularly you three." He looked down at Mischief, Cleo and Spark. "You will need help removing Howlinger and the Wildfires."

Cleo felt her body turn cold. She looked down at Spark anxiously.

"For those, you should fight fire with fire. There is one Pokemon who can help you."

"Who?" Spark looked up at him.

Xerneas smiled. "You'll know him when you find him."  
Spark looked like she wanted to say more but held it in.

"Xerneas." Faith stood up and bowed deeply. "I would like to go with them, if that's okay."

"You're going with them?" Hope asked.

"Their story has saddened me. There are so many Pokemon out there who haven't even heard of Xerneas or the Fairy Garden. The situation must be diabolical right now, so I want to go out there and fight alongside these four and help the Pokemon who need to find their way here!"

Xerneas smiled. "Very well. I'm sure these four will be glad of your help?" He looked at them to prompt a response.

"Yes." Cleo nodded. "I'd be delighted if Faith joined us."

"Me too!" Spark stretched up to her full five inches of height. "You never know, she might teach me how to mega evolve!"  
Faith laughed. "If we find a stone for you I'd be glad to."

Xerneas smiled down at Spark and took a step back. "I shall leave you now to be on your way." He looked at Hope. "Could you teleport them back to New City?"

"New City?" Cleo gasped. "Is that where the Pokemon we're looking for is?"  
"No. But there is someone there who wants to know more about the fairy type."

Cleo and Spark exchanged glances.

Hope moved over to Faith and removed her bracelet. "You'll need this. Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"I'll be fine!" Faith grinned. "I'll be back before you know it!"

"Okay, gather round." She fastened her own bracelet onto her wrist and looked round at the other four Pokemon. "Where shall I drop you?"

"A few feet from the big tree," Cleo answered. "Tinker will not be impressed if I drag Harlequin into the main city."

Mischief looked up at Hope then to Cleo. "I'm really leaving..."

"You'll be fine, Mischief!" Reshiram boomed. He waved at him. "We'll see you again!"  
Xerneas and Reshiram warped before their eyes, along with the rest of the Fairy Garden. The colourful, bright scenery was replaced by the canopy of the Moorland's Forest.

Hope looked around at the shadow-covered trees then down at Cleo and her friends.

"Is this the right place?"

Cleo looked over her shoulder at the thorny bushes and nettles. "Yes, this is the right place."  
"Okay. I'll leave you here." Hope turned to face them and folded her hands in front of her. "Do take care."

"We will!" Faith waved.

"Thanks for helping us get back here." Cleo smiled at her.

"It saves you a long walk." Hope smiled. "See you soon." With that, she warped out of sight.

"Okay, I need to let you know there is an illusion blocking the tree." Cleo looked at Faith and Mischief in particular. "It shows your worst fear. Just push through it and close your eyes if need be."

"That sounds similar to the Endless Woods," said Faith.

"It's very similar. Okay, shall we move on?" Cleo turned to the thick foliage.

"You go that way," said Harlequin. "I'm going to find Harbinger."

Cleo looked back at her. The Zorua skipped on ahead, but came to an abrupt halt as the collar snapped back against Cleo's bracelet.

She turned her head sharply to stare at Cleo. "It's working again?!"

Cleo looked down at the bracelet. That was right, it hadn't worked in the Fairy Garden.

"I guess it does," she said. "Oh well, you're stuck with us."  
"No!" Harlequin followed reluctantly behind them and growled. "This can't be happening."

"Don't worry," Faith told her. "We'll find your friend."

...

Enigma sat unnoticed amongst the branches of one of the many trees, watching Harlequin and his companions. They had someone new with them now. Interesting.

He pushed himself up and watched them stroll into the thick foliage. Why would they willingly walk through all those stinging nettles? That was curious indeed. He could feel his boredom easing.

He decided to wait until they were a little further away before he followed them.

...

**I do like Faith =) she's one of my favourite characters in this to write! I even named my cute Mega Mawile plushie after her =3**

**Please R&amp;R!**


	28. A Change of Heart

**A/N - Yay! This is one of my fave chapters as far as character development goes! =D I'd love to know what people think!**

**I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I'll post it as an interesting fact:**

**Enigma is a character who seems to write himself. The same goes for Spark. Things they say just seem natural and surprise me at times. Spark ended up being a comic relief character right off the bat. Enigma, however, wasn't intended to be a main character but ended up that way after his introduction.**

**Also, the comedy Pokemon fanfic mentioned in my profile, when I start working on it, will be accepting cameo requests! So keep an eye open for that! If I start writing it BEFORE November it will go on hiatus in November and come back afterwards due to NaNoWriMo (because I can't write three stories at once. I can juggle two... but not three.)**

Part 3

28 – A Change of Heart

That group of Pokemon had displayed some odd behaviour before vanishing through the opening in the massive tree. Enigma had watched in fascination from the branches of a nearby tree as the Dedenne closed her eyes and bolted towards the opening, urging the Meowstic to follow after her. That new Mawile had seemed somewhat unfazed, grabbing Harlequin and dragging him after her. Harlequin had suddenly gone faint, screaming in despair and putting up a fight as the Mawile tried to convince him it was okay. Once they'd reached the tree, she pushed him on ahead of her.

What had spooked them? Nothing he could see, that was for sure.

Once all of them were out of sight, Enigma gave them a few minutes before venturing towards the tree himself. He wanted to make sure they were well out of the way before he slipped into their little hiding place.

With a small chuckle, he warped himself from the tree's branches to a spot just before the large tree. He had a quick scan around to make sure no Pokemon were waiting on guard. Satisfied there were none, he then looked up at the large tree. It was massive, possibly the largest tree in the woods. How had they expected this to be a secure hiding place? The opening gave it away immediately.

He shrugged and strode towards it, keeping a ear open for any lurking guards. This was insane. Those Pokemon were out of sight, no sign of them anywhere amongst the shadows of that gaping hole.

All his curiosity about those vanishing Pokemon was suddenly sucked out of him as an overwhelming despair swept through him. His paw shot to his chest and he froze.

He was alone.

He looked around sharply at the unwelcoming scenery. Empty, dark and desolate. Not a Pokemon in sight.

He had nobody to run to.

He was unwanted.

He had no purpose.

He was empty.

He had no one.

He was alone.

He staggered forwards and reached out, his paw touching cold, unwelcoming bark. He just wanted to hide. Climb in a hole, curl up and cry himself to sleep.

He dragged himself into the shadows inside the tree, and suddenly that awful feeling went away. What on earth _was_ that? His heart was racing. Panting, he leant against something cold and damp.

Wait... that wasn't part of the tree.

Realising he'd closed his eyes, he opened them and stared dumbfounded at a cold stone slab. It had a small indentation in the shape of a sun, deliberately carved in place.

Intriguing.

Those Pokemon couldn't have vanished into thin air. This was clearly blocking the entrance to some secret underground base. The Outcasts couldn't seriously be this foolish? That was their symbol! They all wore it!

He let out a small, dry chuckle and lowered his density, slipping through the stone slab like a grey mist. He solidified on the other side, but not enough to let himself become visible to the naked eye. It was too risky. Much too risky. If this was indeed an Outcast base, it must be heavily guarded.

Nothing.

No one was standing guard. There wasn't a soul in sight.

Enigma frowned at his surroundings. It was damp, musty and lined with doors.

He plodded along lightly, a light jingle falling in rhythm with his steps. Those doors were solid with no indication what was on the other side, but he could hear movement behind them as he passed. He didn't want to risk popping inside to check what it was, however. It was much too risky in his current state.

One of the doors ahead of him opened suddenly and he froze to the spot. A Riolu strolled out of it followed by that Meowstic and her friends. Including that Whimsicott.

Enigma felt his face twist with rage. He wanted to launch a surprise attack on the wretched Pokemon, but doing so would make him visible, and he was in no shape to fight all of them.

"Don't worry, Faith," said the Riolu. "She'll be perfectly looked after, I assure you."

"Oh I do hope so." The Mawile closed the door behind them and turned to the Riolu. "She's not all that bad, you know."  
"Yes, well, I don't trust her. She's one of Hydreigon's assassins and I am not willing to let her run riot around New City."

New City? Enigma frowned. He'd never heard of it.

"Now, if you'll join me," the Riolu went on, "you can tell me everything over some berry juice."  
"Didn't you say you have something to show us?" the Meowstic asked.

They vanished into another room at the end of the corridor and the door clicked shut behind them, reducing their voices to mere mumbles.

Enigma looked back at the room they'd come out of. The door was shut but that wasn't a problem for him. He smirked. Dark Pokemon... that meant beyond that door was Harlequin.

This was being made too easy for him.

He strolled over to it, his bell echoing ominously through the corridor. Within moments he was beyond that door and he found himself standing in a room with iron bars sectioning off one half of it. He solidified and marched across the room to the iron bars.

Curled up beyond them was Harlequin. He stared out at Enigma through the bars and his blue eyes widened as Enigma approached him. A look of fear crossed his face but he didn't move.

Foolishness. Was he really going to make this easy?

He stopped just outside the bars and stared down at the Zorua. His ears were pulled back slightly and he curled his paws beneath him. He wasn't going to fight, he just lay there looking small and defenceless. Enigma's eyes picked out something just beneath his fur – that strange collar that restricted his movements. That thing he couldn't remove. That thing that had distracted him and left him with his guard down before that Whimsicott...

'_No! Get off him!_'

Enigma didn't have any friends.

Friends and loved ones were a weakness. For someone with his reputation they could be used against him.

He didn't need friends.

He didn't need Harlequin.

That feeling of loneliness washed over him again and he was suddenly aware his heart was still racing. He leant against the iron bars and closed his eyes.

He couldn't do it.

It hurt.

He felt sick.

"Enigma?"

His eyes snapped open and he stared down at the Zorua. He'd climbed to his feet now and was staring at him with an intense concern.

Enigma chuckled and pushed himself back from the bars, masking his solemn demeanour with amusement.

"I suppose I should get you out." He moved over to the desk and tugged at one of the drawers.

"Not possible," said Harlequin. "Tinker has the keys."

"Tinker?" Enigma looked back at him. "The Riolu?"

Harlequin nodded and sat down. "I'll be out soon, don't worry."

"Out and tied to that Meowstic again," Enigma snorted.

Harlequin shrugged and looked away from him. Something wasn't right. There was something about him he couldn't put his claw on. Something... different.

"Have you just resigned yourself to your fate?" he asked.

The Zorua sighed. "You shouldn't be here. They'll find you."

"You mean you don't want me here." Enigma slipped through the bars and flopped to the floor with his back against the damp wall.

"I don't know." Harlequin didn't look at him. "You wanted to kill me, didn't you?"

Enigma gave a bitter laugh and ran a paw down his face. "Life would be pretty dull without you, Harle."

"Is that your way of apologising?"

"For coming here to kill you?" Enigma stared at him over his paw. "Isn't sparing your life enough?"

Harlequin still didn't look at him. He stared down at the floor trying to hide the tears forming in his blue eyes.

Enigma sighed. "You're an odd one, Harle." He paused and leant his head back against the wall. "I didn't _want_ to kill you. I _had_ to."

"_Had_ to?"  
"You're a traitor," Enigma said flatly. "You're fraternizing with the enemy."

Harlequin snapped his head round to look at him. "Fraternizing?! I've been captured!"

Enigma stared at him for a moment, trying to spot any sign Harlequin was telling the truth. He may very well have been captured, but there was something he'd noticed that the Zorua was trying to hide.

He chuckled. "I've seen you being friendly with them."

Harlequin snarled. "When?!"

"That collar restricts your movements, doesn't it? But those Pokemon you're 'captured' by have been close enough for you to attack." Enigma closed his eyes and shrugged. "And you seem perfectly content to wait here for them."  
"I don't have much choice."

"Yes you do." Enigma held out his paws. "I could get rid of them for you."

"You're not killing them!"

Enigma stared at Harlequin. He was speechless. Not killing them? He actually hadn't expected that.

He chuckled. "So I was right. You _are_ a traitor."

"Traitor..." Harlequin shrugged. "I'd prefer to say I've had my eyes opened."

"You're switching sides."  
"This world is a mess, Enigma. Can't you see it?" Harlequin turned so he was completely facing him and sat down. "This Darkness... it's evil! It's consuming the world and killing innocent Pokemon! That's what we're hired to do – kill and slaughter anyone who doesn't fall under the right 'type'. It's forced the world to be split into three! It's not natural! We should be... living happily alongside each other. No division, no blind fear of being killed because we put a paw out of line. It's crazy... I wouldn't have believed it until I saw it with my own eyes."

"That's a nice little scenario you dreamt up." Enigma chuckled. "What did you drink before you fell asleep? Cos I'd like some."

"I didn't dream it!" Harlequin paused and glanced at the wall. "We found a place called the Fairy Garden. That's where this new type is from, the one that killed Boomer. It comes from Xerneas."

"Xerneas?" Enigma looked up at the ceiling. "Where have I heard that name...?"

"The fairy type can overpower dragon and dark Pokemon. We've been taught to use it and Xerneas has asked us to fight against the Darkness."

"Wait..." Enigma stared at him. "I remember where I heard that name now. You're saying you met a character from a book?"

"A book? He's real, Enigma. I met him. The Fairy Garden is also where Faith is from."

"Faith?"

"She's a Mawile."

Enigma licked his lips in thought and glanced away. "Fairy type, eh?"

Harlequin stared at him for a moment, then asked, "Why did you call him a character from a book?"

"Because that's where I know the name from. I found this book in Hydreigon's library before his son burned it down."

"Son?"

Enigma stared at Harlequin, the Zorua's face twisted with shock and confusion.

"He has a son?" Harlequin asked.

"No." Enigma folded his arms behind his head. "I suppose I'd better explain since I brought it up. The Hydreigon you're familiar with his the second."

"I... I never knew that."

"That's not surprising. You were probably still in your egg when the mass slaughter took place."

"Mass slaughter?"

"Yep. Anyone who knew about Hydreigon killing his father to take the throne was wiped out."

"Why... would he do that?"

"He wanted more power. His father was perfectly happy just taking the Shadow Mountains and recruiting the ghost types from it, but that wasn't enough for his son. So... when he refused to take over more of the land, his son killed him and decided to take matters into his own hands. Anyone who knew of this move was killed, or sworn to secrecy in fear of death."

"Then why are you telling me all this?" Harlequin looked up at Enigma, his voice wavering.

"Because you aint going back are you?" Enigma shrugged. "So you're not exactly going to go around announcing it."

"No, but you are."

Enigma shrugged again. "Not for a while."

Harlequin stared out from the bars of the cell. "I can't believe you just told me all this... what were you thinking?"

"I wanted to see your reaction?"

Harlequin stood suddenly and began pacing back and forth. "You just... stayed there... knowing that he'd done all that? Working for him?!"  
"I had no choice!"

Harlequin stopped to look at him. "No choice?!"

"No." Enigma stared back at him. "I was just a Shuppet when he took over. Have you even noticed how there are hardly any ghosts in the Shadow Lands? It's because he killed them all. They knew. It was shortly after his father had claimed the Shadow Mountains, so of course they knew. That was my home. The only reason I survived is because my father offered me to Hydreigon as an assassin to work for him, pleading that he'd let me and my mother live. Hydreigon liked the idea of having a sneaky ghost do his dirty work, but he killed both my parents right in front of me."

Harlequin sagged to the floor. "I never knew..."

"No. You didn't. I was raised an orphan in the barracks like you." Enigma smirked. "Haven't you even noticed I have no respect for the foul dragon? I don't exactly address him as 'lord' like everyone else in the Shadow Lands."

"To be honest I thought that was just because you're a joker."  
"No. It's because I have no respect for someone who would mercilessly murder my parents."

"Then... why didn't you just run to the borders like the outlaws?"  
"Because my parents would have been devastated if he'd killed me. I wasn't going to give him that satisfaction."

Harlequin snorted. "So you just give him the satisfaction of owning you?"

"He doesn't own me!"

Even Enigma was surprised at his own voice. He looked away from Harlequin and folded his arms across his stomach. Why had he said all that? He flinched and sank down inside himself. He was foolish. What had prompted all that? The idea of Pokemon living peacefully together? Even as a child he'd never had that. Any opportunity of it had been snatched away from him.

All he remembered was war.

"You don't have to go back."  
He opened his eyes to look at Harlequin. The Zorua was staring down at his paws, his blue fur contrasting with the dark, damp floor.

Enigma laughed. "If life with the Outcasts involves sitting in a filthy cell for chunks of my life, sorry, but I'm sticking with jumping through trees."

"So you're remaining an assassin?"

"It's all I know." He closed his eyes and folded his arms behind his head again, leaning back against the wall. "Now if you don't mind, I want to get some rest."

"Rest? ...Are you still wounded?"

"A little."

He felt something paw at his ribs followed by a blinding pain. He swung his arm down and swatted Harlequin away. The Zorua stood a few paces from him and shook his head sharply.

"What are you doing?" Enigma hissed.

"I was examining you," said Harlequin bluntly. "Your ribs are broken. You need to see someone."  
Enigma snorted. "They'll heal."

"Not well!"  
"Whatever." He shifted and stretched out on his back on the floor. "Rest is what I need."

"Rose could help you, she's a peace maker."  
"Peace maker?!" Enigma laughed. "What a joke. Just quiet down so I can sleep, will you?"

Harlequin sighed. "Fine. But you'd better wake up before they come back, or you'll be locked up as well."  
"I can get out of here, don't worry."

Harlequin didn't reply. No retort. No joke.

Enigma opened his eyes. He was sat a couple of feet away, staring out of the bars.

"What are you doing? Keeping watch?" Enigma scoffed.

"Of course. Just... get some sleep. I'll wake you up if I hear anything."  
Enigma tutted and closed his eyes. Sleep wasn't something that came easy to him, but for some reason he managed to fall into a deep slumber.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	29. Tinker's Concern

**A/N - I almost forgot about this upload today! Too many distractions XD I opened the file to do some writing and was like "Oh yeh! It's Monday!"**

**Anyway, some facts on two side characters:**

**Skipper, for some reason, manifested with a Scottish accent. I have no idea why, but it kind of stuck. I always picture him with swimming goggles on his head, so after a while I went back and edited his debut to mention them.**

**Tinker I picture with a British accent, and quite a thick one. I think it's the sterotypical 'mad genius' thing that brings that one on. Nothing to do with the fact I'm British myself, no... =x**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

29 – Tinker's Concern

Tinker sat in silence, leaning on the table with his head resting on both paws as he took in everything Cleo and her friends had told him. The only sound came from Spark munching away at an apple while she sat on the table in front of Cleo, occasionally glancing at the Riolu as they all waited for him to say something.

Mischief hadn't said a word since they'd gathered in the staff room. He was clearly unhappy about having to leave the Fairy Garden, but Tinker hadn't enquired about his solemn demeanour. Cleo hadn't mentioned anything about him wanting to stay either. She didn't feel it was her place to put Mischief on the spot like that, so the situation remained unvoiced.

Finally, Tinker looked up.

"Well, I don't know what to make of all this."

Faith smiled. "I can imagine it's a lot to take in."

"The Fairy Garden?" Tinker shook his head. "You're seriously telling me this type has been around for years?"

Faith nodded. "For as long as any other type."

"And... Mega Evolution?"

"As old as the fairy type!"

Tinker sat back on the stool, being careful not to topple off it, and stared at the Mawile. He shook his head again and stood up.

"Well, I suppose I'd better show you what we've discovered since your time away frolicking amongst the flowers."  
"Frolicking?" Cleo gasped.

Faith appeared as equally perplexed but said nothing.

"Yes. Frolicking. What else are you doing in that supposed garden? You're not out here defending us against the Darkness are you?"

"Actually we are," Faith explained. "Why else do you think I'm here?"

"Yes, you're here now." Tinker stared at her. "But where were you when Cleo and Spark's families were annihilated?"

"I-"

"And what about all the Pokemon in New City? They've also lost their homes and loved ones in all this chaos." Faith was about to respond again but Tinker cut her off with a wave of his paw. "You say there are hundreds of Pokemon in the Fairy Garden that possess this type. If that were the case then why haven't you put an end to the Shadow Lands if you possess that power?"  
"It's more complicated than that!" Faith gasped. "We can't just run in there blowing on trumpets and running them down, it doesn't work like that. We'd be massacred ourselves!"  
"But you're immune to dragon attacks!"

Faith just stared at him, dumbfounded.

"And what about Xerneas?" Tinker asked. "Where is he right now?"

"Out there," Faith answered flatly. "Helping those who need it."

"Really?" Tinker didn't seem convinced.

"He works through us as well," Faith went on. "We also leave the Fairy Garden in groups or pairs to help those who need it. Your reaction isn't exactly new to me, but no matter how many times I encounter it, it still makes me sad."  
"Then be sad." Tinker stood up and turned to the others. "Follow me. I need to show you something."

"No!"

Tinker span to look at Mischief.

"You can't talk to her like that!" The Whimsicott practically bristled. "You have no idea how much hard work Xerneas puts into training up Pokemon like Faith to come out here and help us."  
"The state of the world gives me an idea, Mischief. You've seen it yourself."  
"Yes. And here we are, fighting."

"You mean arguing."  
"No. Fighting. We're all together fighting the same thing." Mischief paused. "Doesn't that mean something?"

"No. You're spouting nonsense." Tinker moved past them towards the door.

"I think what he's trying to say," Cleo said slowly, "is that there's a little hope in all this."

"And that hope has to have come from somewhere." Faith smiled and closed her eyes. "I like it."

"You're reading between the lines," Tinker said flatly. "That is not what he just said at all."  
"But it's what I meant!" Mischief snapped.

"No, they're putting words in your mouth." Tinker opened the door. "Are you coming with me or are we going to stand in here arguing all day?"

Cleo balled her fists. "We're coming with you but I'm seriously unimpressed with you right now."  
"Then you're about to become even more unimpressed."

He closed the door after them and led them further down the hallway. A small grate lay just above the ground ahead of them. Tinker pulled it out from the wall and ushered them inside.

"You may have to wriggle," he told Cleo. "It's not designed to allow larger Pokemon inside."

"Where does it lead?" Cleo asked.

"New City."

"It's connected to the cells?" Cleo gasped.

"Yes, how else do you think we get here?" He gave Cleo a shove inside and followed after her, making sure everyone was inside before sliding the grate back in place.

"But what about the prisoners?" Cleo went on. "If any of them got out, they could find this spot and enter New City!"

"Already dealt with." Tinker nodded to a stone slab in the floor. He used his badge to unlock it and it slid into the ground, revealing a staircase. "Quick. Like the others, it's on a timer."

They trotted down the stairs before the stone slab clicked back into place.

"They could always get a badge off the guards," said Cleo. "This place isn't secure, Tinker!"

"I said it's already dealt with. The walls along here are equipped with sensors. If they detect a dark, dragon or ghost type Pokemon, it will send an alert to New City, then this floor and ceiling will give way, dragging them down onto a pit of spikes several miles down."

Faith gasped and placed her paws over her mouth, staring down at the floor warily.

"Nice set up," said Cleo. "What if it were to malfunction?"

"Then I'd be in a lot of trouble!" said Tinker. "I take this route quite frequently."

"I'd like to point something out," said Spark. "That trap wouldn't work on ghost Pokemon. They'd be able to slip through the rocks."

"Nevertheless, it's set up to go off if they enter," Tinker explained. "We don't keep ghosts in here, but it's best to be prepared."

"I still think its foolish to have this tunnel," said Cleo. "It's a weakness."

"You also thought the badge working as a key was a weakness," Tinker reminded her.

Cleo shrugged. "I still do. Any Pokemon could obtain it and put two and two together when they see those slabs."

"Don't go off on one," Spark whined.

"No, please don't." Tinker led them up a small stairway to another stone slab in the ceiling. He opened it and led them through.

It opened out into a narrow corridor where two Growlithe guards sat on duty. They eyed Faith curiously but neither said a word.

Tinker led them silently through the corridor until it opened up into a wider one. This part of New City was like a maze. Cleo found herself thinking that should any enemy Pokemon breach that security system, they'd be lost in these tunnels for days.

It finally ended in the massive marketplace where hundreds of voices buzzed through the air.

Faith stared at the Pokemon in awe then looked up at the high ceiling with its ventilation tubes and and criss-crossed pattern of thick tree roots that stretched across from the woods.

"This is where you live?" she asked.

"Yes," said Tinker. "This is where all these Pokemon live."  
"You have to hide," she said sadly. "Underground..."

"It's not ideal but it works." Tinker nudged her along. "Come on. You can't stand here staring all day."

"This is heartbreaking." She looked back over her shoulder at the bustling market. "Pokemon shouldn't live like this."  
Tinker bit his tongue and moved past Faith, leaving Cleo to usher her along. As much as Faith meant well, she was definitely pushing his buttons. Cleo placed a hand on her shoulder and steered her around the market to the little corridor that led to Tinker's office.

"It's not another one of your mad inventions again is it?" Cleo asked.

"Not quite." Tinker opened his door and stood aside for them to enter.

"Ahh, ye back!" Skipper waved at them from Tinker's desk chair.

"Yes, with guests," Tinker replied.

"Aye, I know these lot." The Marshstomp looked at Faith. "I dinnae this one though."

Faith looked at Cleo. "Dinnae?"

"Skipper isn't from here," Tinker told her. "He's from an island just off the coast. You've probably never heard of it. It's nothing more than a dry, desert wasteland now."

Faith's face fell. "Oh. I'm sorry."

"Ahh, don' worry yerseln!" Skipper waved a paw and laughed. "It was years ago. I dinnae remember the auld place."

A small chirp drew their attention to the desk. A small Swablu stood on it beside a plate of berries, scrutinizing them with its tiny black eyes.

"Oh my!" Faith trotted over to it and scooped it up in her arms. "A little hatchling!"

"Tinker?" Cleo looked round at the Riolu slowly. "Why is their a Swablu in your office?"  
Tinker nodded. "Yes, that's what I wanted to show you."

"This is the reason I'm going to be even more unimpressed with you?"

"Yes. How is that looking?"  
"It's looking like you're right." Cleo looked back at the Swablu. "How is the rest of New City reacting to you having a potential dragon?"

"Not too well, I must say."

"Cleo, wait!" Faith turned to her, still cradling the little Swablu. "This little one will become an Altaria. Don't you remember seeing them in the Fairy Garden?"  
"Fairy Garden?" Skipper raised an eyebrow. "That's a folk tale, aye?"

Faith looked at him. "Oh not at all!"

"Wait! Faith?" Cleo moved over to her to look at the Swablu. "You're right, there were Altaria in the Fairy Garden, but there was also Reshiram. What's your point?"

"The Altaria back home are loyal to Xerneas," the Mawile explained. "What's striking is that you have one of their offspring right here in New City."

"Offspring?" Tinker scoffed. "I found that egg by the poisoned river! It was either abandoned or its parents had died!"

"I'm not saying its the child of one of our Altaria," Faith explained. "But as far as I'm aware, there are none in the Shadow Lands. The Altaria outside the Fairy Garden all apparently vanished."

"Vanished?" Tinker asked. "How?"

"Rumour has it they fled to the Fairy Garden and those that didn't were tracked down and killed for rebellion. But I don't know how much of that is true."

"Rebellion?" Tinker scratched his head. "Maybe that is why the river was poisoned?"  
"Aye, maybe," said Skipper. "But it'd been deliberately sent flowin' th'other way, right?"

"Yes." Tinker sighed and crossed his arms, leaning back against the wall. "I was actually going to part with that egg, but it hatched, solidifying my initial idea to keep a dragon amongst us. That way, we'd have something that could effectively fight against the Darkness alongside us." He paused and rubbed his ear. "Until Lily pointed out dragons are weak to their own type."

"Then things are drastically in your favour!" Faith smiled at him. "Altaria have a Mega Evolution."

"What?" The gasp came from Cleo, Spark and Tinker.

Skipper just raised an eyebrow. "I might need fillin' in 'ere."

"The Mega form of an Altaria is part dragon, part fairy. That makes them immune to dragon attacks, and completely capable of fighting against them." Faith beamed. "You have a potential fairy amongst you and you never even knew!" She lifted the Swablu to her face and smiled. "What's your name, little one?"  
"We call him Starshine," said Tinker.

Faith looked at the Riolu. "Because he shines a little bit of hope into your life, am I right?"

Tinker stuttered. "Well... you could say that." He took the Swablu from Faith gently.

Cleo crossed her arms and gave him a half-smile. "You might come across as bitter but you're revealing your soft side."  
Faith chuckled.

"Nonsense!" Tinker scoffed. He set Starshine back on his desk. "I'm merely thinking about what's best for New City."

"Whilst fathering a hatchling," added Cleo.

"Aye, a born dad, this'n!" Skipper nodded at Tinker, causing the Riolu to blush red under his blue fur. "Hey, Tink! He said his first word earlier, yanno!"

"Really?" Tinker looked at the Marshstomp sharply then turned away and cleared his throat. "He'll evolve in no time then."

Faith clapped her paws. "Ooh what was it?"

"Ask 'im." Skipper nodded at the Swablu.

The little hatchling had returned to the plate of berries. The Marshstomp leant over to him.

"What have ye got there then, Starshine?"  
The Swablu looked back at him briefly. "Berry."

Spark clutched her stomach with laughter. "Ahh, that's my boy!"  
Tinker covered his face with a paw. "Another Pokemon with an appetite the size of a Steelix? What will become of our food store?"  
"You're gonna have to stock up!" Spark told him. "Cos we're planning to stay here tonight!"

"Yes, quite." Tinker turned to Cleo. "Your usual room is set up. I trust it will be comfortable for the three of you." He then looked at Mischief. "You, however... I may need to send you back to a cell."

Mischief's orange eyes widened. "Me? Why? I thought I was a Guild member?"

"You are. However, I'm still not completely sure where your loyalties lie. As such I cannot leave you unattended."

"Then leave me with Cleo."

Tinker narrowed his eyes. "Absolutely not."

Mischief looked away from him. "It's because of my condition isn't it?"

Tinker huffed. "When did you find out about that?"

Mischief balled his paws into fists but before he could snap back, Cleo cut him off.

"Tinker, Mischief has showed his loyalty countless times. I'm sure you can find him a room? And if not, he is perfectly fine to stay with us."

Tinker put a paw to his head and took in a long breath. "Cleo, you know full well our guest quarters are single-sex rooms."  
"It's okay, I understand," Mischief mumbled. "I'll stay in a cell with Harlequin. I'm sure he won't mind."

The sarcasm was thick in his voice. Cleo looked at Tinker and gave him a glare that he took to mean he'd better sort this out fast. The Riolu gave a flustered sigh and turned to Mischief.

"Fine. We can find you a room. But at the first sign of trouble, my young fellow, you'll be _permanently_ stuffed in one of our cells. Is that clear?"  
Mischief gave a single nod. "Crystal."

"Now, please leave," Tinker told them. "I need to speak with Skipper privately. I'll see you at dinner."

Cleo opened the door and let her friends out before her. She looked back at Tinker and frowned.

"What is the matter with you?"

Tinker waved his paw to shoo her out. "Go. I have stuff to do."  
Cleo grit her teeth and shook her head. She stormed out, slamming the door behind her. Each of her companions wore a different look – Spark one of amusement, Faith somewhat concerned and Mischief looking incredibly miserable.

"I am so sorry he treated you like that," she told Faith and Mischief.

Mischief shrugged. "Whatever. He's never liked me."  
"That's because he's jealous," Spark said a little too loudly.

"He's not jealous!" Cleo gasped.

"Jealous of what?" asked Mischief.

"Oh come on, Cleo, he's had a crush on you for years! He's obviously jealous that you're spending so much time with..." Spark nodded at Mischief.

"Oh my!" Faith covered her mouth and chuckled. "I hadn't picked up on that!"

"Because it's all in Spark's head." Cleo nudged the Dedenne playfully with her foot. "Come on. We can't hang around in this corridor all day."

Mischief plodded behind Cleo as they headed back to the market hall. He looked down at Spark.

"Is he really jealous of me?"

"Oh please!" Spark laughed. "It's so obvious!"  
"Oh." Mischief gave a small smile. "I thought he just didn't like me because I'm... you know... mad."  
"Nah!" Spark waved a paw. "He's mad himself."

"Really?"

"You've seen his contraptions! Plus, anyone who plucks out their own eye for an experiment must be mad."  
Cleo looked back at her. "Spark! There's no evidence that's true!"  
"He told me himself."  
"He was joking."  
"Oh." Spark's face fell and she shrugged. "Darn it, I'm curious again now."

"Well... maybe he'll come up with another scenario to shut you up again."

Faith chuckled and looked back at the office. "You three know each other quite well then?"

Cleo nodded. "Yes, we've been friends for quite a while now."  
"That's nice." Faith smiled. "I can tell he cares a lot about this city and you two."

"Really?" Cleo was aghast. "After the way he treated you?"  
Faith gave her a smile. "I'm used to it. Pokemon never really know how to react when they hear of the Fairy Garden. He'll come round."

Cleo laughed. "You're something else."  
"So!" Faith clapped. "Where are these nest rooms? And how big is this place? Can you show me around?"

"Certainly!" Cleo moved on ahead, leading Faith back into the market with Mischief.

"Start with the dinner hall!" said Spark as she took off after them.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	30. The Start of Project C

**A/N - Sorry about the late upload on this! I was distracted by the shininess that is Worlds! Is anyone else watching it? What did you think to the Pokken announcement? It looks amazing, imo!**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

30 – The Start of Project C

Rio stomped around his office, gathering up what was left of the debris of his research. Several nights had passed since disaster struck his lab. They'd been clearing up the mess since the repairs on the building's structure had been completed. But despite all their repairs, nothing could bring back the huge amount of paperwork that had been torched in those flames.

He grit his teeth and launched the remains into the bin.

Ruined.

It was all ruined.

He turned to the window, looking out at the small team he'd assembled. Tantrum was shouting commands to the Plusle and Minun brothers Rowap and Spelon. Those two had been chosen to scout the area for new members to Rio's team, but their search had only bought a Furret and her son.

Rio tutted. The Furret was currently out gathering berries for the upcoming meal. Her only talent, apparently.

The door to his office opened slightly and a scratchy voice spoke through the crack.

"Boss?"  
"What is it?" Rio grumbled. "Can't you see I'm busy?"  
The voice muttered something incoherent and the door opened fully, revealing Razorclaw the Sandslash. He scratched his head spines and looked anywhere in the room but at Rio.

"We've had no joy," he said.

"No joy?" Rio frowned. "You've come here to interrupt me to tell me you've had no joy in finding any more escapees?"  
"They've just..." the Sandslash shrugged. "They've vanished."

Rio let out a flustered sigh. "Fine. Call off the search, we'll make do with the handful we have."  
"I do have some news though."

Rio looked up at the Sandslash. "Oh? What is it?"

"Mint's just arrived."

"Mint?" Rio raised an eyebrow. "She's here?"

"Yeh, shall I send her in?"  
Rio licked his lips and looked away from Razorclaw. So his message reached her. If Mint decided to join their team, then their numbers may increase significantly. That would provide a much stronger defence against any more freak attacks.

Maybe they'd also find that Absol...

"Yes," he said with a nod. "Send her in."

Razorclaw vanished from the door and within moments the small green head of a Grovyle poked around it.

"Rio?"  
Rio tried to hide his relief to see her by looking round at his damaged office. "Do come in."

The Grovyle slipped round the door and closed it behind her. She turned to Rio and inclined her head on one side.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes. Did you bring it?"

Mint rummaged through her large bag and pulled out a hefty file, dropping it onto Rio's desk. 'Pokerus' was scrawled across the front in red ink.

"Is this all you have?" Rio asked.

"It's all you gave me," she told him. "I didn't follow up with any of your experiments. All that's here is the original research we conducted."  
Rio stared down at the file. "Then why did you keep it?"

Mint turned and leant back against the desk. "A part of me hoped you might need me back some day."

"Well, that day has arrived." Rio sat down in his chair and flipped open the file. It was all there, all the research that had sparked from that strange Pokerus strain.

"So what happened to your lab?" Mint looked around at the remains of the burned shelves and water damaged walls. "You said there'd been an attack?"

"Absol," Rio said flatly. "It broke in, released all my test subjects and torched the place."

"All of them?" Mint gasped. "Did you get any of them back?"

"A handful." Rio put his head in his paws. "None of them are holding Type 18 however."

"Type 18?"

Rio rubbed a paw over his mouth and stared off into space. Of course, Mint new nothing of the new type. That had come up after they'd parted ways.

"I can explain everything to you later. That is, if you wish to re-join me here?"

Mint gave a tinkling laugh. "Of course. But you have to promise you won't get all power-hungry on me again." She gave him a firm stare. "And give me some credit."

"Credit given. You've saved the day."

"Thank you." Mint whipped a paw through her bag and held out a small veil. "I think you might need this."

Rio took it gingerly and stared at it in disbelief, watching the pink liquid settle inside. "Where did you get this?"

Mint shrugged. "I've had it for years."

Rio laughed and his eyes widened with joy. "This is perfect!"

The Grovyle raised an eyebrow. "You have a plan?"

Rio grinned at the little tube, turning it between his paws. With this he could finally rebuild all he'd lost, putting his plan back in action. A perfect revenge plan for the desolation and destruction that had befallen his family, his friends, his home.

But first, he needed test subjects to fatten out his now rather tiny army.

"Rio?"

Rio placed the veil gently on his desk. He grabbed a wad of blank paper from his desk drawer and shoved the old file to the floor. "We start Project C."

"Project C?"

"Yes. But first we need to catch our main test subject, and I have the perfect candidate in mind."  
"Oh no... is this about your revenge plan?" Mint scratched her head nervously. "You don't plan on catching that Absol?"  
"No, not the Absol." Rio chuckled and grabbed a pen, scrawling the title to his new document. "I have a much better Pokemon in mind. The one who ruined my prized experiment."

"Who's that?" Mint asked nervously.

"Enigma."

...

"Enigma!"

Harlequin looked back over his shoulder at the bars then lowered his head to the sleeping Banette.

"Enigma!" he hissed. "Get up, someone's coming."

Enigma groaned and rubbed a paw over his eyes. "What?"

"They'll find you!"

The Banette sighed and sat up, his body becoming translucent. He tried to stand, placing his paw against the wall, his bell echoing in the damp cell.

The door opened and voices flooded the room, freezing Enigma to the spot. A happy Audino strutted in and smiled at Harlequin.

"I've brought you some supper," she said cheerfully.

Harlequin was silent as he watched the Audino slide a tray of berries and dried meat under the door to his cell. She remained crouching by the bars, staring at the Zorua curiously.

"You seem anxious," she said. "Are you okay?"

Harlequin nodded stiffly and lowered his head to the plate, sniffing at the food, likely to check for poisons or to satisfy the Audino's curiosity.

Whichever it was, the Audino stood up and smiled at him, turning to leave the room.

"I'll see you again at breakfast," she said.

The door closed, drowning out the voices outside to a mere dull drone.

Enigma re-materialised and flopped back to the floor with a sharp jingle.

Harlequin didn't look at him. "You need to leave."

"I don't need to go anywhere," Enigma snorted.

"What are you going to do when Cleo comes back here to get me?" Harlequin asked. "Are you planning to launch a sneak attack in your condition?"

Enigma stared at him wordlessly, his paw absently clutching the right side of his chest.

"You can try all you want." Harlequin turned to look at him and shook his head sadly. "I'm not going back."

Enigma pulled himself to his feet. "I never thought I'd see the day when you chose to live in fear with the Outcasts."

"I'm not living in fear, I'm fighting."

Enigma chuckled bitterly.

"You don't have to go back either," Harlequin told him. "If you don't want to join the Outcasts then become an outlaw."

Enigma snorted. "Look, Harle. I've got stuff to do."

"Fine." The Zorua grabbed a piece of meat and tossed it to Enigma. "Take that with you. You'll need your strength."

Enigma caught it and stared at it for a moment before stuffing it into his scarf.

"Just remember," said Harlequin. "The second you leave this place, we're enemies."

Enigma felt that awful wave of loneliness flow through him once again. He grit his teeth and turned away from Harlequin, forcing himself to vanish from sight before he slipped through the bars of his cell.

Without a word, he slipped through the door, ignoring the guards waiting outside one of the open rooms. Whether or not they heard his bell, he didn't wait around to find out. Within moments, he was outside and that pang of loneliness became a wave of despair as he staggered away from the giant tree into the dark forest.

He was alone.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	31. Where To Next?

**A/N - I really need to crack on with some writing. I'm catching up too fast with these uploads!**

**Interesting fact - At this stage I'd hit a bit of a rock. There were several problems I'd run into regards where to send these characters, and as such this chapter reflects this. In fact, I think in some way this chapter kind of reflects how I think sometimes when I'm trying to plan where to send my characters next... I knew where I wanted them to go, but it was the ****_getting there_****. A problem I assume every writer has to deal with at some time or another.**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

31 – Where To Next?

"Ooh, this is a cosy little den!" Faith flopped onto her back on the small pile of hay.

"Yup! Nothing like a good sleep after a good meal." Spark copied her, falling onto the pile Cleo had separated from her own bed.

"Do you think Mischief will be okay?" Faith asked. "Since he's staying on his own?"

"He'll be fine," said Cleo. "Anyway, we'll see him first thing in the morning."

"At breakfast right?" Spark's voice wavered slightly. "Because... you know... sometimes you miss that, and rush us out all hungry."  
"To be honest, I wasn't planning on staying for breakfast." Cleo sat down on her bed and looked at Spark and Faith who had both sat back up to talk to her.

Spark's mouth hung open in utter shock. "No breakfast?!"

Cleo threw herself onto her back. "No. I don't want to risk running into Tinker before we leave."  
"Why not?! You're gonna starve me just 'cos of that?!"

"Yes."

"Naw!" Spark fell onto her back and wailed. "That's so unfair!"  
"Don't worry, I grabbed provisions while you were finishing your supper. You can snack on the way."

Spark raised a claw. "Does it include apples?"

"And cheri berries."  
"Yes!" Spark cheered. "Okay, I forgive you."

Faith chuckled. "You've got a big appetite for such a small Pokemon haven't you?"  
Spark shot her a glare. "Don't call me small."  
"But it's a good thing! You're a huge personality compressed into a small, adorable body!"  
"You can call me adorable but don't call me small."

Faith laughed and lay back down. "So where are we headed tomorrow?"

"I've no idea," said Cleo. "Xerneas said something about fighting fire with fire. But that concerns me."

"Why?" Spark yawned.

"Well aren't the Wildfires fire types?"

"Oh yeh... hmm..." Spark scratched her nose. "That's a strange one."

Faith made a thoughtful noise. "I'm at a loss there too. But if he said to fight fire with fire, then I'm guessing we find a fire Pokemon that can handle them."

Cleo placed an arm across her eyes. "I just don't want to come face to face with them again."

"Again?" Faith looked over at her.

"Yes." Cleo paused, feeling the Mawile's eyes watching her. "I'm sorry, I don't like re-living it."

"Oh, that's understandable." Faith shifted on her bed. "I won't press you for details."

"Thank you."

They lay in silence for a while, the light from the candles causing shadows to flicker across the room. Cleo tried to block out the dancing light, not wanting to think about flames or flickering shadows at that moment. She briefly considered blowing them out, but unfortunately the light was needed in case of emergencies.

Then... there was always Spark. She could use flash if need be.

"So where do we look?" the Dedenne asked.

"Hmm?" Cleo removed her arm from her eyes to look at her.

"For the fire Pokemon," Spark explained. "Where do we look?"

"I've no idea."  
"I mean... do we just keep moving on visiting various Outcast towns? Hoping we find a fire Pokemon that can help us? There's also the Growlithe brothers here in New City."

"That's true." Cleo rubbed her head as she let this sink in. "There are the Growlithe brothers."

"What do we do? Ask them?"

"I don't think so," said Faith. "Xerneas said you'd know when you found them."

"Oh yeh." Spark sighed.

"And you just had to remind yourself of those," said Faith. "Despite the fact we walked straight past them earlier."

"That's true." Spark stretched and yawned. "Well, I'm flat out of ideas."

"Me too," said Cleo. "Also, Outcast towns are hard to come by around here, since any Outcasts here move to New City." She paused. "We'd have to move quite far."

Faith let out a small 'hmm.' "Are there any deserts nearby?"

"Deserts?"

"Yes. Anywhere that might be warm enough to appeal to a fire type Pokemon."

"Not close by, no."

"Oh great," Spark whined. "We're gonna be on the road for days, aren't we?"

"Unless we can think of a way for us to move along quickly to cover more ground?" Faith suggested. "Any Pokemon who can fly and carry us?"

Spark sat up and looked at Faith. "The only Pokemon I've seen big enough to carry all five of us is Reshiram!"

"Ordinarily I'd ask him," said Faith. "But if we were carried around by him it would defeat the object of looking for this fire Pokemon, since we'd be missing out villages and towns in favour of finding a desert."

"The river." Cleo opened her eyes.

"I'm sorry?" Spark turned to look at her friend.

"We could use the river," Cleo explained. "If we found a small boat or a raft, we could travel down the river and cover more ground that way."

"Where are we gonna get a boat?!"

"We ask Skipper." Cleo lay back down. "I'll catch him in the morning and ask."  
"All right." Spark flopped back onto the hay. "But you do know that means you might run into Tinker."  
"I'll deal with the consequences."

Spark made kissing noises and laughed.

Cleo frowned. "Cut that out."

Spark and Faith giggled and rolled over on their beds, falling into silence.

A boat... Cleo opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. She'd never considered that before. It would certainly make travelling easier. The question was... did the guild have one?

...

"This is crazy!" Mint gasped.

Her words were becoming monotonous. Rio stood aside as he watched his small group put together the cage he'd designed. It hadn't taken him long to design it at all. The cage was to be an iron box with the bars forming a criss-crossed mesh so even a Weedle couldn't wriggle its way through them. The bottom was a sheet of non-conductive plastic that sat on the mesh base. The idea was to have an electrical current running through it so no ghost Pokemon could slip out of it and escape.

It was pure genius.

Rio smirked and crossed his arms, admiring the swift construction of the cage.

"You can't be serious about actually using Enigma as a test subject?" Mint shook her head in disbelief.

"You've been saying that all night!" Rio groaned, rubbing his temples. He turned to the Grovyle and waved a paw at the cage. "This is fool-proof. It will hold him, I can assure you."

"Yes, but you need to catch him first. May I remind you that he is a trained, professional assassin?"  
"And may I remind you that a paralysed Pokemon can't get very far. Assassin or not." Rio nodded at the Raichu and Heliolisk. "Thunder and Ray are both proficient in electrical attacks. If they can take out that Whimsicott, they can take out Enigma."

Mint crossed her arms and leant back against the wall, watching the small team at work. Rio had explained the situation to her, the reason Enigma had trashed Project B. A little understanding on her part wasn't much to ask, was it?

"I'm not sure about this," she told him.

Rio rolled his eyes. "You're scared of him."

"I have reason to be! He visited me before he found this lab. If he comes back-"

"He visited you?" Rio looked at her. "How long ago?"

Mint shrugged. "A few days ago? He was looking for Heretics that had given information to Boomer." She shot him a sideways glare. "And that was you."

"Ha." Rio clicked his tongue. "Did you tell him about Pokerus?"

"Of course not!"

"Good. Then this should be a nice surprise for him."  
Mint glanced about nervously, muttering incoherently to herself.

"Is there a problem?" Rio asked. "How much did you actually tell him?"

"Nothing!" She rubbed her paws together and glanced at the door. "I think I have to leave."

"It doesn't sound like nothing."

"Listen, Rio." She rounded on him. "I kept that information secret. When he left, he told me if he found I'd been keeping anything from him then... he'd be back to deal with me."  
A look of concern crossed Rio's face and he looked away. "Well, I can assure you he won't lay a claw on you." He looked up at the cage. The team were raising it from the floor to fasten the base in place. "Besides, when we're finished with him, he won't even remember who you are."

...

"I'm sorry, Cleo." Skipper scratched the back of his head. "I'm afraid I cannae help ye."

Cleo sighed and leant back against the wall of Tinker's office. "So there's no boat?"

"Aye, not fer rivers I'm afraid." The Marshstomp gave her an apologetic look and turned to Starshine who was eyeing her curiously. "This is Cleo. You know Cleo?"

"Cleo." The Swablu inclined his head on one side then looked up at Skipper. "Berry."

"Don' ye worry, little'un. Ye dad's gone t'get some." Skipper looked back at Cleo. "If ye wanna avoid runnin' into Tinker, I'd suggest ye get a wiggle on."  
"Okay." Cleo sighed and placed her paw on the door handle. "Just to clarify, why don't you have a river boat?"

"Too dangerous, sure enough. River's fast down th'mountain an' full o' rocks 'n' fallen trees. Ye'd smash right up 'n' find yeselves caught in that fierce current." Skipper shook his head. "Such a sad way t'go n'all that. So we dinnae keep river boats for th'mountain rivers."

Cleo nodded. She hadn't considered all that. Thinking back, it made sense. There was a fallen tree a little way down that the 'peaceful Pokemon' had been using as a make-shift bridge.

"Well, thank you anyway, Skipper." Cleo gave him a smile and opened the door.

"Oh!" Tinker blinked at her from the other side, clutching a plate full of fresh berries. "I didn't expect to see you there, Cleo. Do you have a moment?"

"No. Sorry." Cleo slipped past him, catching the confused look he gave her.

"Seriously, Cleo. I have a request of you." He turned to her fully, still clutching the plate in both paws.

"I'm afraid we already have a mission," Cleo told him. "A rather important one."  
"Oh?"

"Yes. We need to find a fire Pokemon."

"There are many in the Guild."  
"Not from here," she said flatly.

Tinker narrowed his eyes. "Cleo, you work for the Guild. You can't shirk your duties. When I assign you a mission, you-"

"This is important." Cleo crossed her arms. "We are doing it. If you want to assign us missions, then wait until we are done."

Tinker let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't want to fire you, Cleo."  
Cleo shrugged. "I'm sorry, but this mission takes priority."

"Well, I don't think my request will take you too far out of your way."

Tinker strode into his office and set the plate beside Starshine. The little Swablu chirped cheerfully and dived in. Skipper looked from the Riolu to Cleo and back, blinking in surprise, clearly rendered speechless.

"I need you to deliver something to the next Outcast town just past the Glen," Tinker told her. "It's been requested by their elite, Meredith. They have some sick Pokemon from the tainted river. It's not as serious further down the mountain as it was diluted significantly by the time it reached the lake, so most of the Pokemon that drank the water have merely been induced with a fever, but they are low on Pecha berries. I would like you to take some to them."

Cleo mulled this over for a moment. They needed to go to the next Outcast town anyway, so it wasn't putting them off their mission remotely, but it wasn't something that could be delayed either.

She nodded. "Very well. We'll take them."

"Excellent. I shall assure you your endeavours will be rewarded once the items are delivered." He picked up a small bag from under his desk and handed it to her.

"Sure thing." Cleo deposited the bag in her satchel. "But after this, our attention is fully focused on finding a fire Pokemon." She slipped through the door then looked back at the little Swablu nibbling away at an oran berry. "You know, Tinker, you can't hide him in here all the time like one of your inventions. He needs a bit of freedom."

With that, Cleo left his office and closed the door behind her. Her next stop was the dining hall. The sound of chattering Pokemon reached her ears before she even reached the door. Inside was heaving with various Pokemon sat around the massive table or milling around clearing away empty plates and glasses.

Spark, Faith and Mischief were sat together about half way along, but the only one still eating was Spark.

Faith noticed her first and pointed, and Spark looked up from her plate to wave at her.

"Hey!" she said as Cleo reached them. "Did you get the boat?"

"No." Cleo took a piece of dry fish that Faith handed to her. "We hadn't really thought it through. A boat for a mountain river would be much too dangerous with all the rocks and fallen trees."

"Ah." Spark nodded and turned back to her plate. "Well, it was a good idea anyway. It meant there was time for breakfast." She grinned.

"Sadly, Spark, the major drawback is we're retracing our footsteps all the way back to the Glen."

"Why would we be retracing our footsteps?"

"Because Tinker has asked us to deliver a medicinal package to the Outcast town there." Cleo tapped her bag. "The lake is still tainted. So if you finish up, we'll be on our way. We'll get Harlequin and head straight for the river."

"Actually, Cleo..." Spark placed the large berry in her paws back onto her plate. "I don't think that's the best idea. It's not rained in a few days."

"So?"  
"Our trail is still there by that river. If we go back, and the Wildfires do come after us..."

Cleo felt herself go pale. Spark was right. Three out of the four of them had a major disadvantage against at least one of the Wildfires signature attacks. Spark was the only one who didn't, but alone against a pack of vicious Houndour... Yes, following the river all the way back to the Glen in these circumstances would be asking for trouble. She sighed and ran a paw over her head.

"So where do we go?"

"To the Glen just... we detour."

"Through the forest?"

Spark nodded. "That's the best decision!"

Faith beamed. "Detour or not, I'm always up for a little adventure!"

"Well, be prepared for one," said Cleo. "Without the river to mark our way, we'll be struggling to find our way through that forest."

Faith shook her head. "No we won't. There'll be another path surely."

Mischief stared at his empty plate. "Not to mention the Heretics might still be looking for us."

"Ah." Cleo nibbled at the piece of dried fish. That was true.

"Wildfires and Heretics," said Spark. "Wow, this is going to be fun."

"We don't even know if the Wildfires are a risk yet," Cleo told her. "Besides, it doesn't hurt to be prepared." She stopped Spark reaching for a fresh plate of berries. "Come on. We have a town full of sick Pokemon waiting for this delivery."

"All right, just let me take this one for the road." Spark stuffed an oran berry into her cheek pouch and hopped up onto Cleo's shoulder.

The next stop would be to get Harlequin, and hope they could cover enough ground before nightfall.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	32. The Watch

**A/N - I'm sorry if I've overlooked any typos in this chapter. I'm feeling rather tired atm. Been busy. *yawns***

**I can't think of any interesting facts for this chapter. I also don't really want to give out any spoilers before you read it. Just go ahead, and enjoy =D**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters! *falls asleep on keyboard***

32 – The Watch

Enigma had spent most of the night clambering through the treetops, not paying much attention to where he was going. He hadn't made much progress, making a wide circle around that large tree. He was distracted.

He hated being distracted.

When the sun reached its highest point, he stopped on the bough of a sturdy tree looking out at the forest. It all looked the same. Green and brown and dull. He quickly finished the snack Harlequin had given him, barely tasting it. Right now, it was more a necessity than an enjoyment.

Alone.

He had no reason to head back to the Shadow Lands. No reason to quickly finish his task.

But he wanted to find out what the Heretics were doing. He couldn't shake the curiosity that had aroused when he'd seen that Tyranitar. The same curiosity that had followed him after he'd been the target of that crazed Whimsicott's attack.

He had to forget about Harlequin. He had to go back to that lab. There was a chance Rio was still there, and he wanted answers.

He had to admit, he was fearing an all-out war. Whatever it was the Heretics were doing with that new type, news would reach Hydreigon sooner or later and he wouldn't be impressed. One way or another he'd end up involved in that war, be it fighting against Heretics and Outcasts or being one of the targets of Hydreigon's vicious attempt to wipe out anything that wasn't dark or dragon.

Right now, his survival was unpredictable.

He felt all strength leave his body and he flopped back against the trunk of the tree, staring up at the rust-coloured canopy. Dry leaves were slowly floating to the ground, removed from their place in the branches by a gentle, wintry breeze.

Why had things become so complicated?

...

"Any idea where we are?" Spark flopped forward on Cleo's shoulder, as glum as she sounded.

"No," answered Cleo. "Unfortunately, without the river to go by, I'm not entirely sure if we're even heading in the right direction any more."

They'd been walking since morning and from what they could see of the sun through the mottled canopy it had moved over them now, and would likely be setting soon. Even with the trees shedding their leaves, it wasn't easy to gauge direction from the sun either. So as to what direction they were heading in, they had no idea.

"I wouldn't be too disheartened," Faith told them. "Either way, we'll make it out of the forest eventually."

Spark glanced back at her. "Yes, but that may mean we end up miles away from the next town."  
"I'd sooner be out of these trees," said Mischief. "I'm worried we'll end up running into those Heretics again."

"Then be prepared," Cleo told him. "We're not even sure how close to the lab we are."

"Do you think they'll even still be using it?" asked Spark.

Cleo shrugged. "Who knows? Either way, I doubt they'll have left the forest and moved on elsewhere."  
Mischief made a thoughtful noise but said nothing. He shuffled along beside her, keeping a watchful eye on the passing shadows.

Harlequin had been oddly quiet. No arguments or snide remarks, not even a snarl when Cleo had ventured to ask her if there was anything wrong. What had struck her as very odd was that she'd willingly followed them from the cells without so much as a retort when Cleo had activated the collar again. No struggle, keeping a steady pace behind them as they moved on.

Well, it made things easier and they had less to worry about without an assassin screaming for help and snapping at them.

They pressed on, their paws crunching over the thick blanket of dry leaves on the forest floor. The sound triggered Cleo's memory of Spark's comment during breakfast – it hadn't rained for a while. She found herself wondering when it had last rained. It hadn't in days. That was odd for this time of year. Wind and rain normally helped the trees shed their leaves as they went dormant in time for the cold season to hit. A spurt of dry weather like this normally foreshadowed a harsh storm. If that was anything to go by, then it was going to be a bitter, cold winter.

She shook off that thought and picked up her pace. The sooner they were out of this forest, the sooner they could find shelter should that actually happen.

Spark yawned widely. "I'm worried we're going to have to sleep in this forest."

"That was always the case," said Cleo. "Besides, there are more of us this time."

Faith chuckled. "Don't worry. We'll be fine."

Spark looked back at her. "How often do you leave the Fairy Garden?"

The Mawile didn't answer, but Cleo could guess she likely chuckled or gave a nonchalant shrug. Regardless, she did feel safer with Faith on their side. It did increase their numbers and their strength significantly. An extra fairy Pokemon gave them a solid advantage, plus Cleo and Spark could now use a fairy attack each.

She had to keep reminding herself that. She'd not learned a new attack in a long time so it was still alien to her.

The canopy above them dimmed and she looked up. So the sun was setting now... it was time to find somewhere to spend the night before the forest was plunged into the dark of night.

She scrambled over a large tree root and moved off their path, looking for a wide enough space to set up their little tent.

"We won't lose this path will we?" Mischief asked.

"No. We'll find it again in the morning," Cleo told him. "I just want to make sure we're away from where any patrolling Pokemon might look." She paused and looked around at a small clearing shielded from sight by some thick brambles and nettles. "Here will do."

"Do they normally patrol the forest?" Faith asked.

"It's not been recorded before that Noivern showed up." Cleo pulled the yellow sheet out of her bag. "And we've recently discovered Heretics in the mountains. As for that lab, I don't even know how close we are too it either."

"And now we're going to set up a tent right in their garden," said Spark.

Cleo looked up sharply and stared through the trees. She then looked down at the Dedenne.

Spark blinked. "I'm joking."

"Don't do that," said Cleo.

Spark shrugged. "Just trying to lighten the mood."  
Faith laughed and took the other half of the sheet from Cleo. "Where are we hanging this?"

"Over this low bough." Cleo looked up at a spindly tree branch. "It's a little high up but I think it'll do."

They flicked the large sheet up at the branch and it fell in place. Cleo handed Faith two iron thorns and they both secured the four corners into the dry ground.

"It's going to be cosy in here," said Spark.

Faith chuckled. "It certainly is!"

"Well," Spark turned away from the tent to look at Cleo. "Let's have supper and decide when we'll take watch."

"How good is your night vision?" Cleo asked Faith.

"It's okay. Why do you ask?"

"Just to see if you prefer early night or early morning. You'll need to be able to see well if you're helping with the watch."  
"Oh!" Faith smiled. "I can see in the dark. Mawile are used to living in caves after all."

"Then I'll take first watch," said Cleo. "Which inevitably means Harlequin will be with me."

"Huh?" Harlequin looked up at her with surprise then shrugged. "Fair enough."

"I'll go second then," said Faith.

Mischief raised a paw. "I'll go after Faith."

Spark snorted. "Guess I'm last then. Oh well." She shrugged. "That means I don't have to have a broken sleep."  
"Oh no." Faith grinned. "No one wants a grumpy Spark."  
Spark shook her head. "They do not."

Cleo flopped onto the grass and pulled out several berries and various dried meat.

"Let's get ourselves fed then," she said. "We'll need our energy."

...

Enigma had watched all this with great interest. He'd spotted the little group of Outcasts as he warped through the forest and had been tracking them from a distance. He knew they'd have to rest at some point and like any sensible Pokemon should, they'd have at least one of them keep watch while the others slept.

It was that Mawile that interested him.

There was something about her. She'd not been with them before, and Harlequin had mentioned her. She must have had some influence over the Zorua's decision to turn against him.

He had to be patient now and wait for her turn to keep watch.

He made himself comfortable in the canopy and watched the boring spectacle of the Meowstic sitting silently beside Harlequin, occasionally glancing around at any slight noise. Even the wind rustling the dry leaves seemed to set her on edge.

He chuckled, considering briefly throwing something just to watch her jump. But that would be foolish. If either of them spotted him, his entire plan would be blown to bits.

Harlequin was much more relaxed, curled up next to the Meowstic keeping an eye on his surroundings. It was a striking difference between the two Pokemon. The world didn't frighten Harlequin like it did the Meowstic. He was sensible. He knew what made those noises. He wasn't jumpy.

Enigma snorted and closed his eyes, leaning back against the tree. This was going to take forever. He couldn't wait for them to switch their shifts, then he could get his plan into action and find out as much as he could from that meddling Mawile.

The night seemed to drag by, the wind stirring the branches of the trees and causing them to drop their lingering leaves to the forest floor. The rustle it created sounded oddly loud in the silent forest. He was growing bored of watching the pathetic Meowstic glance up every time the wind stirred the debris.

Finally, she looked back into the tent as the Mawile came out. They spoke in hushed voices that Enigma couldn't pick up from his position. The Mawile gave a little wave to Harlequin and the Meowstic as they went into the tent, then sat herself down in the opening. She seemed a lot more relaxed than the previous Pokemon, leaning back on her paws and looking up at the night sky through the canopy.

Enigma followed her gaze. A scattering of stars were visible, which meant there were few clouds in the sky. It was almost peaceful... he shook it off and looked back down at the Mawile.

She was completely oblivious to his presence. He was going to wait a little though, since he'd need to get close enough to get at her. He didn't want to risk waking any of the other Pokemon, nor did he want to risk the Meowstic or Harlequin still being awake.

So he waited... remaining in the shadows cast by the tree's branches, out of sight from the unsuspecting Pokemon.

After what felt like an eternity, the time finally felt right. He warped down from the trees, reappearing a few feet from the tent. This was going to be tricky. If he got too close, she would hear him and she'd likely wake the others up. He needed to do this tactfully, to draw her attention and see if he could lure her out.

He grabbed a twig from the floor and tossed it towards the Mawile. It landed just on the edge of her vision, disturbing the bed of still leaves. She looked up at the spot then looked behind her, squinting into the shadows. She'd noticed... but she didn't look like she was going to get up and investigate.

Enigma cursed silently. If he tried another stunt like that, she'd probably be more inclined to wake up the others than come and seek him out solo. He'd probably blown his chance. His only other option was to creep towards her and snatch her aside, and that might cause her to scream.

Oh well. He'd have to try and avoid that.

He kept his breath low and crept towards her, his bell making nothing more than a gentle grating sound. Barely audible. Those in the tent shouldn't hear it, and neither should the Mawile until it was too late.

Closer... closer...

Her head snapped round, her violet eyes wide. She'd heard him.

He grit his teeth, planning a swift get-away, but she didn't go into the tent. No... she stood up and ventured away from it, searching for the source of the sound.

He grinned. So she was curious. That was foolish. What if he'd brought an army? She'd be defenceless.

Using the shadows of the trees to his advantage, he watched as she crept towards him, her eyes scanning the trees and shrubberies carefully. As she ventured close enough, he shot out of the shadows and grabbed her, whisking her off the path. She let out a surprised gasp and he pressed his paw over her mouth and rammed her hard against a tree.

A look of realisation crossed her face but what he thought was fear reflected in her eyes was nothing more than surprise. So she wasn't scared? Did she even know who he was?

Keeping his left paw securely around her arm, he carefully removed his other paw from her mouth and brushed a ribbon of soft fur back from her face. A smirk played across his lips and he scanned her with his eyes.

"Well, aren't you a pretty one."

She raised an eyebrow. "Enigma, isn't it?"

"I'm surprised you know me." He chuckled then fixed her with a venomous glare. "Because you're not acting like you know me."

"I think addressing you by name is enough evidence that I know you," she said. "Not to mention your bell gives you away. There aren't many assassins who are so confident in their ability that they use a bell to shock fear into the hearts of their targets."

He grinned. "You flatter me."

"So... why did you lure me out?"  
Enigma felt his face twist with confusion. Was this Mawile serious?

"You knew someone was luring you out yet you came alone?" he snorted.

"Well it was clearly not an ambush." She stared at him. "You threw a stick. If someone wanted to ambush me, or my friends, they would have stormed us. You, however, were clearly working alone."

"And you've left your friends completely unprotected."

Her violet eyes widened and she glanced sideways. Hah. She'd not considered that.

He laughed. "You're foolish."

She fixed him with an exasperated stare. "What do you want with me?"

"I want to know what you've done to Harlequin," he said flatly. "Why has he become all soft, turning his back on the Shadow Lands to pal around with Outcasts."

"He?" She seemed surprised. "I've not done anything to Harlequin. She entered the Fairy Garden and the change went from there. As far as I know, she's not with the Outcasts willingly."

Enigma frowned. "He told me he's not going back, and you tell me he's not staying with you willingly?"  
The Mawile shook her head. "She wants to go and look for her friend. Xerneas told her he's alive."

Xerneas? There was that name again. He clenched his teeth and glanced away from her. A friend? That Absol?

"Is that everything you want to know?" she asked. "Are you going to let me go back now?"  
He snapped his attention back to her and a massive grin spread across his face.

"Oh, not quite yet," he purred. "You see, I was going to see the Heretics... but I think I'd much rather play with you."  
He slid his paw up her arm to press against her chest. This would be too easy.

A bored expression crossed her face and she sighed. Then her body jerked and her massive horn connected with his left ribcage, knocking the wind out of him. He was launched sideways, landing painfully on the ground.

He coughed and rolled onto his back, clutching his right side. The impact with the floor had sent a shock wave of pain through his ribs. That stupid Whimsicott.

"Oh my!" The Mawile covered her mouth with a paw and trotted over to him. "Are you injured? I'm so sorry, I had no idea!"  
He growled and pushed himself up, wincing with the effort. "You'd better get out of here before I slaughter you."  
"Are you sure I can't help you?"

He looked up at her, fury filling his crimson eyes. "You really don't know how to save your own life do you? You're pathetic."

She stared down at him for a moment, then let out a small sigh and turned away.

"You should recognise who your friends are," she said. "Because the Darkness is no one's friend. It just destroys." She glanced back at him. "And that can make someone feel _very_ lonely."

She marched away from him, leaving him sitting in the foliage coughing into his paw. He took in a painful breath and dragged himself to his feet.

That hadn't been as insightful or as fun as he thought it would be.

It had just left him feeling sore and bitter.

...

***wakes up sharply* Ah! Hi! I love the way Faith handles the situation in this chapter. She's such a great character to write. Well... Please R&amp;R! =D**


	33. Trouble

**A/N - Thanks again for all new readers, reviewers and followers! =D I do appreciate it!**

**Interesting fact - I have one for this chapter! The Furret and Sentret in this story are actually based on the Furret and Sentret in What? I'm a Pokemon? (Which I have recently started to upload) In the original write up, they were called Moka and Scout just like they are in the re-write (and I wasn't going to re-visit the story until recently, nor had I any intention of uploading it here) However, in this fanfic, only the Sentret kept his original name and personality. I was actually going to drop Moka and Scout from What? I'm a Pokemon? but decided that plot line was just too funny not to revisit. SO if any of you have read my newly uploaded fanfic and think I'm running out of ideas for Pokemon names, that's not the case. I re-used him, and decided to keep him in the comedy's re-write after all =D**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

33 – Trouble

Yurlik was woken up from a deep sleep as the tree he was perched in shook violently. He squawked and flapped his wings wildly to try and gain his balance and fend off several Murkrow as they shot into the air in a flurry of feathers and alarmed caws.

"What the..." Yurlik steadied his frantic breathing and looked down at the ground below.

A Deino stood shaking its head, the dark mark above his nose evidence of his impact with the tree's trunk.

Yurlik sighed and leapt from the tree, gliding to the ground where he landed heavily.

"What is it?" he asked the dragon Pokemon.

"Ah, Yurlik!" The Deino turned, facing in the complete opposite direction. "Lord Hydreigon is looking for you!"

"And he sent you?"  
"Yes!" The Deino sniffed the air for a moment then turned to face the tree. "It's urgent. He commands your presence immediately."  
"Really? Well, I should make haste." The Honchkrow flapped his large wings and rose into the air. "Goodness knows how long he's been waiting if he sent one of _you_ to find me."  
"Hey! I followed your smell!" the Deino barked.

"Yet you are addressing a tree." Yurlik turned and flew towards the large castle.

The Deino scurried along the floor, speeding on ahead of him. It looked like he was making good progress until he collided with two other Deino and the three of them snapped at each other, raking large wounds across their necks and backs with their wicked teeth.

Yurlik tutted at them and lowered himself in the air, landing at the door of the large castle. He rapped on it twice with his beak and waited until the doors swung inward.

A Weavile stood there and gave him a nasty sneer. "You're late."  
"Well, who sent a Deino?" Yurlik pushed past him, brushing him aside with his wing and marched down the marble hallway.

"Stupid excuse. You know he won't accept that!"

Yurlik muttered under his voice and stopped at the throne room door. He took a steadying breath then tapped on it.

"That had better be Yurlik!" As muffled as the voice was by the door, the anger was not masked at all.

Yurlik felt his blood run cold. He braced himself and pushed the doors open.

Hydreigon lay in the shadows, his red eyes gleaming out from his dark face.

"There you are!" the dragon boomed. "Where have you been? Slacking off again?!"

"I would have come sooner," Yurlik stuttered, "but the Deino... you know they're blind, my lord, they-"  
"No excuses!" Hydreigon let out a low growl then raised his head to stare down at the shivering Honchkrow. "I am growing impatient, Yurlik. I want to know what has become of Harlequin and Enigma?"

"Oh those two?" His remark didn't settle well with the large dragon. He took a step back with a glance to judge the distance between himself and the door. "They... they've been gone for-"

"Several days," said Hydreigon. "And I have heard... nothing."

Yurlik shook his head. "I've no idea. But something is going on out there, my lord. The Murkrow numbers have been dropping as many aren't making it back here."

Hydreigon clicked his tongue and fixed Yurlik with a cold, terrifying glare.

"I don't care about your flock, Yurlik. I want answers! And I want that Whimsicott here, so I can deal with it." He paused, watching the Honchkrow cower low to the ground. "Go! Take as many of your Murkrow as it needs to find out what has become of my assassins, and bring that Whimsicott back here!" He finished with a low growl.

Yurlik stuttered and backed out of the room. "Yes. Off course. Right away."

He closed the doors behind him, watching as countless floating feathers got jammed between the heavy panels. At this rate, the stress was going to send him bald.

The Weavile chuckled behind him. "You got scolded?"

Yurlik snapped his beak at him, causing the Weavile to leap aside and shoot him a mocking sneer.

"You better be quick," the Weavile told him. "'Cos he's getting mad. And when he gets mad, we all suffer."

Yurlik stared over his shoulder at him and ruffled his feathers. He turned sharply and marched back out of the castle.

The Weavile was right. He had to be quick or the entire Shadow Lands would know the dark dragon's anger.

...

The cage was complete.

Rio stood back to admire it. It hung from a thick iron chain in the ceiling, hovering a mere couple of inches from the floor. The plastic base separated it from the iron bars, which would eventually have electricity running through them thanks to the two electric Pokemon.

It was flawless.

Now all that was left to do was to track down Enigma.

He turned to address Mint and Tantrum.

"Now this is finished, it is time to put my plan into action." He glanced back at the cage. "Catch Enigma."

Tantrum snorted, briefly drowning out Mint's nervous mumbling. "How're we gonna track down a ghost Pokemon?"

Rio paused and licked his lips. He hadn't really considered that. This would probably be quite tricky.

"You don't know, do you?" said Mint. "You've not planned this far ahead."

Rio let out a flustered breath and ran his paw over his head. "Then we just need to make a plan."  
Tantrum crossed his arms. "It'll need to be a good'un. 'Cos this is a ghost we're talkin' about. And I doubt he's gonna come easily."  
"No."  
"Not t'mention he's lookin' for that Whimsicott."

"Yes." Rio chuckled. "Yes, he is."

"Why are you laughing?" Mint asked.

"Because this just became simple." He fixed his blue eyes on Mint and smiled. "We just track down the Whimsicott again, but instead of catching him, we wait for Enigma to show himself and launch our attack."

Mint frowned. "How is that simple?"

"Yeh," snorted Tantrum. "They could be anywhere."

"Yes, but the difference between hunting them down and hunting Enigma down is very different. They need to sleep, he doesn't. He can warp, they can't. They'll have covered much less ground."

Mint and Tantrum exchanged glances and Mint sighed.

"Okay." She shrugged. "You have a point. Now how do we find them?"

"We split up in pairs," said Rio. "And when one of us finds them, they send message."  
"How?"

"One of the pair breaks off and tracks down the nearest pair, passes the message and rejoins their partner as the other pair breaks off and so on and so forth."

"Sounds rather convoluted," said Tantrum. "I aint impressed, Rio. This is a little poor for you."  
Rio crossed his arms. "Well, do either of you have a better idea?"

"Yes," said Mint. "We catch the Whimsicott and use him as bait."

"But they got away, and that Whimsicott is volatile!"

Mint tutted. "Not any more volatile than Enigma."

Rio stared at her for a moment. She had a point. He ran his paw over his head again and glanced away from them as he tried to formulate another plan.

Nothing came. They were at a loss.

"She's right on one thing, boss," said Tantrum. "He'll be easier to catch if we have somethin' he wants."

"But the only thing he wants is the Whimsicott."

"Yeh." Tantrum scratched his chin. "But can we fashion somethin' else? Tell him we found somethin' that'll pique his interest."

"A fake bribe?" Rio looked at him. "That's... genius!" He chuckled. "I never expected that of you, Tantrum!"

"Heh heh! Thanks... wait..." Tantrum frowned. "Hey!"

Rio paced back to the cage. "A fake bribe... okay. Then we need to get planning."  
"Why don't we just tell him we found something," Mint suggested. "We don't have to go into detail. We found something that concerns the Shadow Lands. That should get his attention."

"Yeh," said Tantrum. "It worked on Boomer."

Rio considered this, his face twisting into a smile. He looked back at them and grinned.

"Perfect. Send someone out to find him." He paused and looked out of the window. "Preferably someone with wings."

"We don't have someone with wings," said Tantrum. "He killed him, remember?"

Rio tutted and looked up at the ceiling. "Then you go. On foot."

Tantrum grumbled and made for the door. "I'll find us a new messenger."

...

Where the forest canopy was clear, stars still shone brightly over head. It had been over an hour since Enigma had watched Faith head back to her tent.

He warped his way across the treetops, ignoring the sharp pain in his ribs. He wasn't going to let that hindrance slow him down. He needed to cover as much ground as possible if he was going to find that Heretic lab again.

This forest all looked the same, but he was persistent. The air was filled with the ring from his bell as he vanished and reappeared amongst the branches, landing in each one with less grace and agility than he normally possessed.

Maybe this was a mistake?

No... he wasn't going to think like that. Even if his condition wasn't perfect, they were puny Heretics with no type advantage over him. He could take them. All he needed to do was swat them aside if they didn't tell him what he needed to know.

Wait... what was that?

He came to a sharp stop, clutching the swaying branch in one paw as he peered down at a moving shape below. A Vigoroth, just casually strolling through the forest. He paused, looking around as if searching for something (or just making sure it was safe) before moving on. But that Vigoroth seemed rather familiar. He'd seen him before.

Enigma nibbled his claw thoughtfully, searching his mind to try and place that Pokemon. Aha! He grinned and looked back at the spot the Vigoroth had come from. It was one of Rio's friends. He'd seen him trying to control that Tyranitar. He worked at the lab.

Enigma launched himself across the branches, his bell leaving a chiming trail behind him. The trees opened out, creating a large clearing, and there in the middle of it was the squat lab. Thick black soot marks stretched out across the white surface from a wide window, but despite the visible damage, the building still looked sturdy and inhabited.

A small movement caught his eye – another Pokemon moving around despite the fact it was the dead of night. A Furret... a female Furret... and she looked worried.

He crept closer, keeping a watchful eye on the lab for any other Pokemon that might still be awake.

"Where are you?" the Furret whispered. "Scout? You know you can't go out at night, stop playing games!" Her voice became more plaintive and audible, and she clasped her paws to her chest as she paused by the trees.

She was missing someone. He didn't remember seeing her at the lab. Maybe she could tell him where Rio was so he could sneak in and avoid dealing with any of his guards?

Enigma chuckled. She might be more fun than that Mawile.

He warped from the branches and materialised before her, snatching her arm in his paw. She let out a loud shriek and he jerked her arm, causing her to lose her balance and fall onto her back on the grass.

"Shush!" he hissed.

"No!" she wailed. "I'm just looking for my son! Leave me alone, please! I'm all he has!"  
"Then stop screaming." He placed his claws over her throat, but with every struggle she gave it caused pain to radiate through his body.

He could feel his own heart racing. If it was this difficult to deal with one feeble Pokemon, he was actually dreading her screams attracting more of them.

"Where's Rio?" he demanded.

She didn't listen. Her screams and flails became more frantic as he pressed his claws into her neck. He was wasting precious time. He needed to silence this fool quickly.

A sharp zap ran through his body and every muscle stiffened. He fell sideways off the Furret and she stood up, scrambling back from him on all-fours. But her eyes were drawn away from him towards the building.

"Well that was easy," came a garbled voice.

"Yeh," grumbled another. "You'd think someone like him would be harder to take down."

Enigma strained to look up at the speakers. A Raichu... and a Heliolisk. So they'd paralysed him...

"Let's get him inside," said the Raichu. "Oh, Rio's gonna be happy with this."  
The Heliolisk laughed and strutted closer to him. The last thing Enigma saw was the sun-shaped frill expand out from his neck as a violent surge of electricity ran through his body.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	34. Infected

**A/N - Sorry this is a day late. I couldn't find time to update yesterday!**

**Not got any interesting facts I'm afraid. I'm sleepy and can't brain well.**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

34 – Infected

Harbinger sat on the edge of a cliff overlooking the wasted town, crushed by the avalanche. The sun was rising, casting the sky in a rusty orange and filling the valley with blotchy shadows across the jagged debris. Few Pokemon were left in that town. Most had either been killed or had left, as it was much too dangerous to stay. The risk of another avalanche was too high.

He didn't care much for the Heretics. They were as bad as Outcasts and Darkness as far as he was concerned.

The Absol frowned and looked back at the Endless Woods. Those Outcasts and Harlequin... he'd lost them. They'd vanished. Where had they gone?

With a grimace, he stood up and turned his back on the destruction below. If they weren't in the woods, and they weren't in the town, then the only options that remained were the mountains or they'd gone back the way they came.

He'd searched the mountains, but not thoroughly. The risk of a blizzard was rising by the day with every temperature drop, and he could sense it would be soon. And it would be violent. He looked over at the snow-capped mound almost masked by the expanse of trees. If they were in that mountain... then their chances of survival were low.

They couldn't have gone that way. There was nothing beyond it. Nothing but the freezing ocean and an abundance of icebergs. It was always cold beyond those mountains, which was why the ice Pokemon had favoured it. But there were none left there now after the division. They'd been scattered. It was deserted like many other locations.

He wasn't risking climbing over the mountains looking for Pokemon that might not even be there.

It wasn't worth walking headlong into danger.

They'd more than likely got lost in the woods and ended up doubling back on themselves and giving up altogether. They had probably gone back.

Probably... since he'd lost their trail. It infuriated him. How was he supposed to pull this off if he couldn't even keep an eye on his target?

"Harbinger?"

He looked down at Claw. The Pawniard appeared worried, albeit not so much as his twin.

"If we stay here for too long, won't the remaining Heretics notice us?"

Scratch gave an anxious look over the edge of the cliff.

"There's not enough of them left to be a threat." Harbinger turned away from him. "But we're leaving now."

He led them away from the former Heretic town back into the Endless Woods.

Lost.

He was used to belonging nowhere, constantly on the move, constantly under threat, but he rarely ever felt lost.

But not being able to find that little group of Pokemon... it made him feel incredibly lost.

...

Enigma groaned and rolled onto his side. His head hurt so much he didn't dare open his eyes, and his body felt stiff and alien to him. The surface he was lying on didn't feel like grass or dirt, or a comfy hay bed either. It was smooth and hard, and had clearly done no favours in helping him rest his beaten body.

Then there were the voices. He thought he'd heard someone announce he'd woken up. Where was he?

He cracked his eyes open, flinching at the sudden bright light. As his eyes adjusted, he could make out an iron mesh, and beyond that the colourful shapes of a handful of Pokemon. He blinked a few times to try to bring them into focus, but his head was fuzzy and all he could see was that darn mesh.

"Nice to have you with us," a voice spoke over the rest.

He knew that voice. It was oddly familiar... he frowned, clawing through his brain for a face to put to that voice.

"You can try to escape if you want," the voice went on. "In fact, do try. It would be entertaining to see if this cage actually can hold a ghost Pokemon."

Cage? Enigma pushed himself up and chuckled. He tried to mask his flinch at the effort. Everything hurt. It was coming back to him now. The Heretic lab, the Furret, and those two electric Pokemon. That's what the pain was. It was the lingering effects of their paralysis attacks.

And now he was sat in a cage.

He looked out at the group of Pokemon, slowly becoming more visible. The speaker was standing close to the cage staring at him. Blue fur... pointed ears... Enigma frowned. Rio.

"Rio!" a female voice hissed. "Is it really a good idea to encourage him to try that?!"

Rio laughed. "Of course! Then he'll see we have the upper hand!"

Rio's face was clear now, sneering at him through the bars. Enigma felt a growl forming in his throat. That Meowstic really didn't know when to quit. He was messing with him, an assassin who not only had a major type advantage but also couldn't be held by something as measly as an iron cage.

He didn't remotely have the strength to launch himself through the cage to attack the pathetic psychic Pokemon, but he could at least shake him up a bit. Lash out with his claws, letting them glide through the bars as if he were nothing but smoke.

He lunged forwards with his remaining strength, striking at the Meowstic with his left paw. The iron bars were nothing as his claws slashed through them... but he was met with a violent shock of electricity that caused him to scream and snatch his paw back, collapsing to the floor in a jerking, gasping heap. Tiny sparks of electricity danced over his fur before vanishing into the air.

"It works!" the female voice gasped.

Rio chuckled and took a step back from the cage. "See? I told you. Fool proof."

Enigma snarled, turning awkwardly on the floor of the cage to try and take in more of his surroundings. It was much clearer now, albeit still a little hazy thanks to that violent shock. A group of Pokemon stood behind Rio – a Sandslash, Heliolisk and Grovyle. Another Pokemon stood separate from them, oddly close to the cage – a Raichu. Its tail was resting at the cage's base. So that's where the electrical charge had come from.

Enigma could feel his heart racing. He was in no fit state for a fight. He feared the worst. This might actually be his end. What did Rio want? To torture him for destroying his 'pet'? He flinched at the thought and tried to push himself up, grimacing with the sheer effort. Great. He hurt even more now.

"A cage perfectly designed to hold a ghost Pokemon!" Rio exclaimed with a grin. "I bet no other Pokemon have considered this before, however... I guess it's unlikely it's ever even crossed their minds. As far as I'm aware, you're the only ghost type in Hydreigon's ranks. Am I right?" He inclined his head on one side and gave Enigma a mocking smile.

Enigma growled. "What do you want with me?" His voice came out as a rasp over an alarmingly sore throat. He unconsciously rubbed his neck, fixing Rio with a venomous glare.

"What do I want with you?" Rio gave him a look that told him his answer should be obvious. "I want compensation! You completely destroyed my experiment! Not to mention, if it hadn't been because of your unreasonable request, my lab wouldn't have been destroyed."  
"How is that _my_ fault?"  
"Oh... I don't know." Rio shrugged. "The coincidence doesn't lean in your favour. I'm blaming you anyway."

The three Pokemon behind him each exchanged nervous glances, the Grovyle appearing rather twitchy. Enigma narrowed his eyes. He knew her... but where from? His mind was foggy. He ran a paw over his head, letting himself finally fall into a painful sitting position.

The Grovyle looked like she was about to speak but the door burst open and a Vigoroth ran in clutching a Sentret under one arm.

"Oi Rio! I had t'rush back 'cos I found this little nuisance wanderin' in the woods but I can't find his ma – wait a minute." He stared at the cage and pointed a long claw. "When did ya catch him?"

The Sentret's eyes widened. "Whoa cool!"

Rio turned to face him. "He came here by himself. He attacked Sandpaw and her cries alerted us. Ray and Thunder took him out and brought him here."  
"Wow." The Vigoroth scratched his head. "You'd think he'd be harder t'take down."

Enigma sneered at his remark.

"Fortunately for us, he'd already sustained significant injuries." Rio pointed at the Sentret. "Take Scout to his mother please, she's currently in shock and worried sick."

"I can't find 'er."

"She's in her room resting." Rio paused. "Or at least she was."  
"All right, we'll find her." The Vigoroth turned and marched out of the room, still clutching the little Sentret. "C'mon, nuisance, let's find ya ma."

"But I wanna see!" the Sentret cried.

"Nah, ya much too young!"

"Now." Rio turned back to Enigma. "I have big plans for you."

Enigma frowned. Big plans? He didn't like the sound of that.

The Meowstic picked something up off the table. It looked like a little tube with some pink liquid in it, mounted on a slender needle. It wasn't an entirely different set-up to one of Harlequin's many poisoning methods.

Enigma felt his body turn cold and he glanced left and right. He needed to get out of here.

"It's interesting to see how electricity completely negates your efforts to move through solid objects, isn't it? The next stage should be quite easy." He moved to the cage door and motioned for the Heliolisk to follow him.

"Rio, wait!" The Grovyle trotted over to him and placed a paw on his shoulder. "Wouldn't it be easier if you removed his memories first?"

"Oh no," Rio shook his head. "It's much better for us this way."  
The Grovyle looked perplexed. "Why?"

"Think about it. If he gets out of here, where is the first place he's going to go?"  
"The Shadow Lands."

Rio smirked. "Precisely."  
The Grovyle released him and took a step back, but the look on her face said she thought the Meowstic was crazy.

And that he was. Enigma watched as he instructed the Heliolisk to open the cage door. Once that door was open, he could shadow sneak behind him and make a break for it. He didn't even need to take any of them out, just use the shadows to his advantage and get as far away as he could.

The Heliolisk opened the door and stood before him, his entire body sparking. Enigma watched, his heart sinking. Electricity. If he tried to move through that, he'd receive yet another nasty shock. The giant reptile lurched forward, grabbing Enigma's left arm and sending a shock of electricity up it causing the Banette to wail as he was dragged forwards and pinned in place with a nasty thunder wave.

Rio moved over to him and admired the needle. "Now, this won't hurt." He looked down at Enigma. "Well... not as much as the rest of your injuries."

Enigma couldn't watch. He closed his eyes as he felt the needle prick his arm. Whatever Rio was doing, he didn't like it. He didn't recall ever feeling this scared and trapped. It felt like his heart was going to burst free from his battered rib cage.

Rio stood back, finally done, and Enigma was tossed unceremoniously back into the cage. He hit the bars and another painful wave of electricity coursed through him. He cursed and dragged himself away from the bars, shooting Rio a leer.

"Don't worry." Rio set the needle down. "It's only a little Pokerus."  
Pokerus? Enigma forced himself to sit up and wiped a paw across his mouth, leaving a streak of blood on his fur.

"It's not the strain your familiar with, however. This is much more potent, incredibly valuable for building an unstoppable army. It increases your abilities much higher than the 'normal' strain." Rio shrugged. "But it does have a rather unfortunate side effect."

Enigma let his paw flop onto his lap. "And what's that?" he croaked out.

Rio chuckled. "Just a little madness."

Enigma felt his heart sink. He watched helplessly as Rio left the room, his lab assistants following after him. The only one that remained was the Raichu, sitting with his back to him with his tail beneath the cage.

Trapped. Great.

Enigma groaned and covered his face with his paws. How was he going to get out of this one?

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	35. Falling Into Place

**A/N - Thanks for all new reviews, faves and follows! =D You're all awesome! I'm so glad people are enjoying this story, cos I'm really enjoying writing it =D**

**I'm working on Chapter 52 today. That should give you an idea how long this story is at so far, and counting. So you lovely readers have a lot more to come ;)**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

35 – Falling into Place

Starshine scurried across the office floor as he chased after Tad, flapping his wings and shouting something garbled as he tried to string words together. The ones that stood out were 'berry', 'Tad' and 'play'. The rest just weren't registering in Tinker's mind at all.

He watched them as he jotted down notes for upgrades to his transporter device. He had the daunting feeling it would be in high demand very soon, and so far the only one who was brave enough to use it was himself. Skipper only knew about it by accident and that was because he'd walked into the room marked 'keep out' while looking for Starshine the previous night. (He'd apologised to Tinker and said he'd just gone into 'overprotective uncle mode', assuming there were dangerous tools in there a hatchling shouldn't be playing with.)

"She's right, yanno."

Skipper's voice made Tinker jump. He looked up at him, his eyes widening for a brief moment. "Huh?"

"Cleo. She's right. We cannae keep 'im locked up in here all th'time."

Skipper had his paws folded behind his head, watching the two baby Pokemon bat a ball of paper back and forth.

Tinker looked away from him and scribbled something nonsensical. He wasn't thinking straight. Cleo, Starshine, fairy Pokemon... his head was a mess.

"I think it's 'bout time," Skipper said slowly, "that we introduce 'im to th'rest o' th'Pokemon 'ere."

Tinker crinkled his nose. "It wouldn't go down well."  
"They already know 'bout 'im, Tink. It's not fair. He needs freedom to run around, an' don't tek this th'wrong way, but yer office aint exactly safe fer a wee hatchling who's found his legs."

Tinker looked up as Starshine crashed into a box of papers, the documents fluttering into the air as it was toppled over, covering the little Swablu in a cascade of notes and diagrams. Tad rolled onto his back in fits of laughter, drawing an amused glance from Starshine.

"That was funny, aye?!" Tad looked up at his uncle.

"S'funny." Starshine skittered across the floor towards the Mudkip, flapping his fluffy wings.

Tad leapt aside, causing the Swablu to skid across the floor onto his bottom.

"Don't encourage 'im, lad!" Skipper told him. "Ye'll be makin' him into a trouble maker like yeself!"  
"It's just a bit o' fun," Tad whined.

"S'funny!" chirruped Starshine.

Tinker stared at the two Pokemon wordlessly. He couldn't deny Cleo was right. They should try to introduce Starshine to the others. There was also the issue of what would happen to Starshine when he had to report to Meredith to make sure the medicine had been delivered. He couldn't very well leave him here. Sure, he could trust Skipper to watch him, but the Marshstomp had his own duties to attend to, not babysit.

"What's wrong, Tinker?" Skipper asked.

Tinker looked round at him. "Oh. Nothing."

"Don't look like nothin'." The Marshstomp crossed his arms. "C'mon. Ye can tell me. Is it what Cleo said? Are ye worried?"

Tinker rubbed a paw down his face. "Actually, yes. I think she's right. We should introduce him to the rest of New City. It's only right they know he's living here, and this office clearly isn't safe for a rambunctious little Pokemon to play in." He paused and fixed Skipper with his good eye. "I also have to pop over to the next Outcast town to check Cleo's delivered that medicine."  
Skipper's eyes widened. "Oh! Usin' yer little gadget, aye?"

Tinker sighed. "Yes. But the problem is, what do I do about him?" He nodded to Starshine.

"Ah yeh, right enough." Skipper scratched his head. "Ye cannae take 'im, aye?"  
"Not really. I don't trust my transporter enough to take him with me. It's still a work in progress."  
"Ye said ye been workin' on it fer years, an ye say it's still a work-in-progress?!"

"These things take time! I've only used it myself, I've never had any other Pokemon test it." He paused. "And I'm not going to test it on a child."

"Nae, ye not, that's sure enough!" Skipper chuckled. "If ye want, I can look after the wee tyke?"

"Aren't you busy?"  
"Aye, but I aint goin' anywhere! I can look after 'im."

Tad looked up at them. "I can too, aye?"  
Skipper smiled widely. "Sure ye can, Tad! He's gonna need his big brother."  
Tinker raised an eyebrow. "Brother? Since when did we all become a family?"  
Skipper elbowed him and laughed. "Leave this up t'uncle Skipper, aye?"

Tinker snorted and gave a small smile. "This is a rather convoluted development. Ahh well, so long as you don't mind, then that would be very helpful. Thank you, Skipper."

"Aye! Ye go 'n' play wi' yer gadgets 'n' visit other towns. I'll be th'stay at home uncle!" The Marshstomp laughed heartily.

Tinker smiled and stood up. "I can't thank you enough. I'll be right back, I have to test something."

He moved across the room to the door marked 'keep out'. Small footsteps pattered across the floor behind him.

"Och, ye don't tyke. That's dad's place. Ye don' go in there, aye?"

"Dad!"  
Tinker span to look down at the little Swablu, now clutched in Skipper's large paws.

"Did he... just call me 'dad'?"

"Aww, c'mon Tink! He's always thought it!"

Tinker blushed and turned back to the door. "This just got a whole lot more complicated."  
Skipper laughed. "Ye did hatch 'is egg. Whaddya expect?"

Tinker cleared his throat and pushed the door open. "I don't know. A baby Pokemon that would grow up to join the Guild's army?"

"Aye, but ye gotta raise it first."

"Yes, well..." Tinker gave his friend a teasing smile. "I have uncle Skipper for that."

"Ahh, ye skallywag. Go play wi' ye toys!"  
Tinker laughed. "Okay. Please look after him for a while. I have no idea how long this will take."  
"Sure enough. See ye soon, dad." Skipper waved and Starshine flapped a wing to copy him.

Tinker felt his face heat up again and he turned into the little room, closing the door behind him. Dad... he'd never been called _that_ before.

...

Enigma's eyes cracked open and he was instantly dazzled by the bright whiteness that surrounded him. He groaned and placed an arm across his eyes to block out the light. Using his other arm, he pushed himself up until he was sitting comfortably in the middle of the cage.

Wait... comfortably?

He lowered his arm and looked down at himself. Sitting up hadn't taken much effort at all, and the pain in his ribs had subsided significantly. He lifted his scarf revealing unblemished grey fur. The bruising had healed. How had that happened so quickly? He'd been battling the pain for days, yet one night in this ridiculous cell and the damage was gone?

It had to be the Pokerus. Rio had injected him with it and now he had recovered. Did the Heretics know it had this effect? If they did, then it would be silly to give it to a wounded assassin who had targeted them as his next victims if they refused to co-operate and tell him what on earth was going on. Unless they were trying to win him over, which was incredibly unlikely.

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his paw across his face. He still felt groggy, but that wasn't new to him. He often did after he'd slept. Insomnia normally kept him awake for days on end, so a good night's sleep made him feel sluggish and weak. He would have put the latter down to the constant electrical attacks, but he didn't feel remotely paralysed. It had worn off entirely.

This _was_ interesting. If Rio had no idea Pokerus could do this, he had absolutely no intention of telling him. He'd play the part of a weak, pathetic Pokemon using the after-effects of sleep to his advantage. Then, once he was out of this cage, he'd take out each and every Pokemon one by one then be on his way.

Memories from the previous night were coming back, bringing with it a burst of adrenaline followed by a wave of nausea. What had that Meowstic said about Pokerus? It had a side effect. Madness.

Madness.

That Tyranitar. And the Whimsicott. It was all falling into place.

He leant back, then remembered those charged bars. He pushed himself forward again with his paw and leant forwards on his knees, leering out at the opposite wall. It wasn't clear at first glance, but he could make out the faint outline of the double-doors.

He had a lot of questions for those Heretics. If he'd picked up on Rio's hesitation when he'd mentioned Boomer's death at the paws of a Whimsicott he could have pummelled the information out of him there and then, rather than just dismissing it as being linked to the new type. The fairy type. How was he to know? He had no idea that this strain of Pokerus even existed until now.

He'd been right. They were up to something. Something big, and he was now caught up in it.

He took the opportunity to have a look around the room and take in his surroundings. Outside those mesh bars the first thing he saw was the back of a Heliolisk. So the Raichu had switched places with it. Enigma snorted and looked past him. Bars. Many bars stretching from the ceiling to the floor, and behind them were a handful of Pokemon watching him with curiosity. No fear, no concern. Probably just wondering why he was in a different set up to them.

_'Wouldn't it be easier if you removed his memories first?'_

Enigma felt his stomach flip and he looked away from the other Pokemon.

Memories.

They had no idea who he was.

Rio was sick.

Enigma placed a paw over his face and chuckled. Harlequin was right. This world was a mess.

...

Rio stuffed a pawful of documents into a file and shoved it aside to shelve later. He'd been up all night writing down everything he could remember about Pokerus, Project B, Type 18 and anything else of relevance to their discoveries. The new file named Project C lay open on his desk, the only entry to it being the one from the previous night.

At least he'd made a start. Racking his brain for relevant information from his previous documents had been his priority, that way he could be almost sure he wasn't missing anything important.

The door opened and Mint flowed in, giving him a warm smile.

"Have you been up long?" She asked.

"I've not slept," he replied. "I've been busy."  
"You should really sleep. You can't work while you're tired."

"It's not stopped me before." He stood and grabbed one of the files, sticking it onto a charred shelf. "You don't become a genius by sleeping, you know."

Mint leant against a wall and crossed her arms. "A genius still needs to sleep."  
"How is our latest test subject?" he asked.

"I've not visited him. I don't really want to."

"Why not? He's behind bars."

"Rio, he threatened me! And he remembers it! Have you any idea what will happen if he gets out? He'll kill me! And you! And everyone else in this lab!" She spread a paw. "It's insanity to keep him here unless you plan to wipe his memories."

Rio rolled his eyes. "I already told you-"

"I know, I know, it's better if he keeps them," Mint spat. She took a steadying breath. "I know you have your own issues with the Shadow Lands. The Darkness wiped out your home and this lab is your little way of covering up any hatred you have for the place. But is keeping one of Hydreigon's top aces really the best solution to your problems? Yes, he might go mad, but what's he going to destroy first?"

Rio fixed her with his ice blue eyes. "The Shadow Lands. Because that's where we're going to deploy him. Along with as many Type 18 as we can get our paws on."

"And what if he gets out?"

"He won't."

"But if he does?"

Rio gave a sigh of defeat. "We run."

Mint wasn't satisfied by this answer. She looked away from him and muttered under her breath, the odd word sounding out louder than the rest, most notably 'crazy' and 'killed'.

Rio stared into space for a moment then looked back at her. "By any chance did any Type 18 appear in your ranks?"

Mint shook her head. "I have no idea. I left them."

"So... they won't be joining us?"  
"No. The first sniff of the possibility of this war getting any worse sent them running back to the Heretics with their tails between their legs. I'm all that's left."

Rio tutted and looked out of the window. "Then we need to start our search up again for my missing test subjects."

"They'll be long gone now."

Rio growled and fell into his chair. "I suppose we'll have to work with what we've got and hope some new test subjects show up. It takes a while for Pokerus to take full control of the brain."

"Yes, four seasons at best." Mint scratched her head leaf. "Is that really long enough?"

"It'll have to be!" Rio stood back up and made for the double-doors. "I'm going to check on Project C. Are you coming with me?"

Mint muttered incoherently and followed after him.

The lab was oddly silent. The scattering of Type 18 Pokemon they'd managed to grab from the forest were watching Enigma with innocent curiosity rather than nattering amongst themselves like they usually did. Of course, unlike their first time in the lab, they were much more wary of Rio and his assistants and had to be taken to the training room in chains to prevent their escape.

Enigma sat leering at him from his cage, his hands folded in his lap probably to reduce the chances of him accidentally touching the charged bars.

"How are you feeling?" Rio asked him. "Stronger, I imagine."

Enigma grinned.

"I'll take that as a yes," said Rio. "You're looking well, anyway. I take it you've already gathered that strain of Pokerus increases regeneration rate?"

Enigma's grin fell and he inclined his head on one side. "Oh, so you already knew that?" He tutted. "Pity."

Rio snorted. "I've been studying this Pokerus for years. Did you honestly think something that significant slipped past me?"

"I hoped it had." Enigma shrugged. "Oh well. I guess you're smarter than me."

Rio bristled at the mocking tone behind the Banette's voice. He unfurled his ears and trapped Enigma in a wave of confusion. He raised him from the base of the cage and launched him into the bars. Electricity surged through the Banette's body and he screamed, causing the other test subjects to cower and cover their ears.

Rio released Enigma from his attack and let him crash to the bottom of the floor where he lay, his body jerking as little sparks of electricity jumped across his fur.

"You're mine now," Rio told him. "You're not getting out of here. You'll do exactly as I say."

Enigma turned his head stiffly to fix him with a vicious glare, but Rio was completely unfazed.

"You will be let out of your cage only to undergo training, and we have the methods to do that without putting any of my assistants at risk. Bare in mind there are four electric Pokemon in this lab, two of which are completely capable of taking you down. There are also three normal Pokemon who are immune to your signature attacks, and a Sandslash who can utilise Night Slash which if it were to hit you," Rio paused to chuckle, "it would hurt a fair bit, wouldn't it?"

"It would probably kill him," Mint muttered.

Rio raised an eyebrow at Enigma. "He's also not the only one who can use it. You have been warned."

Enigma pushed himself up, not taking his eyes off the Meowstic. "I'd like to see... how you're going to get me out of here without me striking you first."

Rio looked at the Heliolisk.

The large reptile Pokemon stood and placed a paw on the cage. His body sparked dangerously, causing the cage to spark with as much ferocity.

Enigma flinched, retreating into himself to occupy as little space in the cage as possible.

"It starts now," said Rio.

He moved over to a table and pulled open a draw, taking out a pair of metal cuffs on a chain. He moved over to the cage and instructed the Heliolisk to open it.

"Put these on." Rio handed the cuffs to Enigma. "If you don't, then Ray will."

Enigma stared at the giant Heliolisk. He reluctantly took the cuffs and slipped them onto his paws.

Ray took the chain and Enigma flinched as a mild electrical surge passed through the metal. The Banette was dragged from the cage across the lab.

"I think you'll enjoy this training," Rio told him. "All my other Pokerus test subjects have loved it! They all get so carried away."

Enigma leered at him which Rio returned with a smirk.

"Oh believe me, you will enjoy it," the Meowstic said slowly. "It's another one of its fascinating side effects."

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	36. Flygon Times

**A/N - this was an exciting chapter to write. It involves one of my favourite scenes in this story, so when it came to working on it I wanted to get it just right. Even while proof-reading the whole chapter, there were still changes I needed to make - re-wording things, adding little bits, taking bits away... it's taken a bit of work. It was a scene I'd had wanted to write for quite a while. I hope it's just as exciting for you to read as it played out in my head.**

**Interesting fact? I wanted to call this chapter 'Let Flygons be Flygons' but I think I've heard it somewhere - an episode title, internet meme... I dunno. So I changed it to 'Flygon Times' instead.**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

36 – Flygon Times

The training room was empty save for a lone target on the far wall. It was a shoddy design, nothing more than a mere sheet of metal with a ring motif on it.

Rio hadn't come in with Enigma. Neither had the Heliolisk. The chains had been thread through a metal slat in the door and the sound of a heavy lock falling into place cut through the silence of the room, echoing off the bare walls.

"As you can see," Rio's voice came through a hidden loudspeaker, "the only thing for you to attack in this room is that target over there. I'm not foolish enough to have you face off against one of my assistants. On the back of that target is a gauge that will record your attack power."

Enigma snorted and looked behind him at the blank wall. Was it a one-way window? Or was there a hidden peep-hole somewhere? Whatever, he couldn't see the foolish Meowstic. He dusted down his scarf and fell back against the wall.

"Enigma, are you going to use one of your attacks?"

It was more of a command than a question, but Enigma had no intention of entertaining that maniac. He'd stand here all day if he had to.

There was a long pause while they waited, and Enigma could almost picture the Meowstic's face twisting with impatience. He stifled a chuckle and crossed his arms, staring across at that lone, pathetic target.

A surge of burning electricity shot up his arms and through his body. He let out a yell and dropped to the floor. The attack stopped as suddenly as it had started and Enigma cursed loudly.

"That was just a warning shot," Rio spoke softly. "If you don't co-operate, the next one will be a lot worse."  
Enigma struggled to his feet and shot a sneer at the blank wall.

"I refuse to play your games, Rio!"

"Oh, this isn't a game. This is a test. And so far, you're failing."

Enigma shook his head. "Test... who cares if I fail?"  
"_You_ will."

The constant tingling sensation from the cuffs worsened and Enigma flinched. He looked down at them, as if he were expecting them to be glowing.

"Now," Rio almost growled. "Aim an attack at that target."

Enigma felt a wave of nausea flow through his chest. If he didn't obey, he'd probably die here. But of course... if he was Rio's experiment, would the Meowstic really want that? He licked his dry lips and glanced back at the wall, narrowing his eyes.

"How far are you willing to go?"  
Rio laughed. "Oh! I wouldn't provoke me if I were you, Enigma."

"Let's face it." Enigma crossed his arms and gave the wall a mocking smile. "I'm no use to you dead."

"Actually, you are," Rio said bluntly. "Without you around, I wouldn't have to worry about you. But you're held captive now, which as far as you're concerned is 'as good as'."

Enigma snarled.

"Now attack that target!" Rio's voice blared out of the hidden speaker, echoing around the room.

Attack the target... Enigma growled and lashed out at the wall, raking his claws down the immaculate surface. Long, deep rivets appeared in the woodwork, revealing the former oak colouring.

A violent shock wave shot through his body, crippling him and sending him dropping to the floor with a heavy thud. The attack didn't let up until Enigma started to cough violently. He lay on the ground, trying to desperately catch his breath.

"I warned you." Rio sounded disappointed. "You are of no use to me _today_. But you brought that on yourself."

The door opened and Enigma felt himself being dragged to his feet by the chains. He staggered out of the room, shooting Rio a vehement glare.

He'd had enough of this wretched Pokemon. With a flick of his claws, a large shadow ball flew towards the Meowstic's head.

Rio waved a paw and a light screen materialised just before the shadow ball struck him across his left eye. He staggered back, thrown off balance from the impact. The screen had significantly reduced the damage but a look of anger crossed the Meowstic's face.

His ears unfurled and Enigma was launched into the air in a field of purple light. It felt like his body was being contorted and crushed, then he was launched down the hallway. Ray had to release the chains to save himself being dragged along with him.

The Banette struck the wall hard, but he was immediately engulfed again. Rio twisted him in the air and marched him back through his office and into the cells.

"Open the cage!" he commanded.

Ray scurried past him and tugged the cage door open. The Raichu was already sat waiting to continue his shift, his tail stuffed under the base of the horrific design.

Enigma flew through the door and struck the back of the cell, once again receiving another nasty shock. Rio held him in place as his screams of protest filled the room, terrifying the other captive Pokemon.

Finally, Rio let him go, and Enigma slumped to the bottom of the cage. He turned his stiff neck to leer at the Meowstic as he backed out of the room, his left eye showing a slight bruise where the shadow ball had hit him.

"I'll be back in the morning," he growled. "It would be in your best interest to co-operate next time."

The Heliolisk followed him out of the room, closing the door and leaving Enigma alone in the electrified cage.

He struggled to prop himself up, his muscles stiff and sore and unwilling to obey. His eyes began to sting and water and a lump rose in his throat. He rubbed the back of his paw across his eyes and let out a defeated groan. There was not a single hope he'd get out of this place. He felt incredibly helpless.

...

"Oh dear," said Spark. "My stomach just growled."

"I wondered what that was," said Mischief.

"You can't be hungry already?" Faith chuckled. "We just ate."

"It feels like it was hours ago," Spark grumbled.

"It really wasn't," said Cleo.

"Yes, it was," Spark corrected her. "I'm losing track of time in this forest, so I've resorted to relying on my body clock."  
"That's not exactly reliable since you are often hungry."

"We should be out of this forest soon," said Faith. "They're not exactly endless, are they?"

"I wouldn't be so sure," said Spark. "We could be going in circles."

"We're not," said Harlequin.

Cleo looked back at her. She was keeping pace with Faith, but had been exceptionally quiet since breakfast.

"I've been marking the trees," she said. "I've not seen any claw marks."

Spark crinkled her nose. "I'm not sure we can believe her, Cleo."

Harlequin flashed her canines, then sighed and looked away. "If you don't want to believe me, fine. But I don't want to be stuck in this forest any more than you do."

Faith gave Spark a smile. "She has been doing it. I've seen her."

Spark's eyes widened briefly. "Oh! Well... okay then. I guess we can believe her."

Harlequin shrugged and plodded along after them. "Whatever. I don't expect you to believe me. I was sent to kill you after all." She paused, raked her claws across a tree then trotted to keep up with Faith.

"I'm worried it's a bit counter-productive though." Spark looked back at her. "I mean, sure, it'll stop us going in circles. But what's to stop any enemies tracking us?"

Harlequin narrowed her eyes. "If you're worried about the Wildfires, they use their noses."

Spark gulped.

"The only assassin who would need to follow a physical trail is Enigma," Harlequin went on. "Pokemon that fly don't look for ground evidence, they just fly until they spot a target then swoop."

"Huh." Spark looked at Cleo. "Like that Noivern."

Harlequin smirked. "And that's one less you need to worry about."

Mischief glanced back at her and his pace slowed.

Cleo grabbed his paw and ushered him along beside her.

"Ignore her," she told him.

"I can't ignore her, it's my fault."  
"We have one less assassin to worry about. I'd hardly say that's a bad thing." Cleo's ears twitched and she froze, turning her head left and right as she tried to pinpoint the sound.

Mischief was still talking but his voice faded out as he noticed the dull thrumming sound that filled the air, rising with intensity. Whatever he'd been saying hadn't registered to Cleo, she'd been too focused on trying to place the noise.

It sounded like the rapid flapping of wings, not entirely dissimilar to a Yanma. There had been a lot of Yanma living by the river near her old home, and when they moved in swarms over her house the sound of their wings vibrated through the air in a gentle hum. This was a lot deeper and vibrated against her eardrums.

Spark pawed at her neck and pointed through the canopy. There, flying above them, was a Flygon. It hadn't noticed them. Instead, it was fixated on something beyond the trees they couldn't see. What struck Cleo as odd was that it wasn't alone. Sitting on its back was a small shadowy form, barely noticeable between its shoulder blades. It was blurred out by the Flygon's rapid-beating wings but Cleo was almost certain it was a dark Pokemon.

"What do we do?" Spark whispered to her ear.

Cleo watched the Flygon move over the canopy until all she could see was its tail.

"Follow it," she whispered back.

"What?" Spark squeaked.

Cleo hushed her. "What if it hears us?"

"You want to follow it?" Mischief asked. "Why?"

"It's clearly going somewhere." Cleo crossed the path, moving onto untrodden ground between the closely-knitted trees. "What if its a new Outcast town?"

"I doubt that," said Harlequin. "I don't recognise him."  
Cleo looked back at the Zorua. "You don't recognise him?"

"No. Which means he doesn't work for Hydreigon."

"You know all the Pokemon in the Shadow Lands?" Spark's voice was thick with scepticism.

"I don't know them," Harlequin scoffed. "But I recognise them. I can assure you I've not seen a single Flygon in Hydreigon's ranks."

Spark looked at Cleo. "I'm not sure I believe her."

Cleo shrugged. "Only one way to find out."

They scrambled over the thick weeds and knobbly plants, following the Flygon's tail as it occasionally became visible through the canopy. The vibration of its wings came to an abrupt end and Cleo feared they'd lost it. The trees thinned just as abruptly and beyond them was the familiar structure of the Heretic lab.

Spark had to stifle a yell, clasping her paws over her mouth and instead letting out a low squeak.

"I wanna leave," she whispered harshly. "Please... _Anywhere_ but here."

Cleo searched the grounds for the Flygon. It wasn't easy to miss. He stood on his hind legs talking with the small shadowy Pokemon. Now it was off the Flygon's back, it was unmistakably a Sableye. The Flygon had his front paws inside a large messenger bag. He pulled out a pouch which he handed to the Sableye.

"I'll wait here." The Flygon's voice was unusual. It seemed to vibrate like his wings but what he said was still very clear. "I can't get through the door."  
The Sableye nodded and scurried over to the door with strange, elaborate movements. He didn't keep his arms at his sides like most bipedal Pokemon, instead letting them flail around as he ran.

Harlequin shook her head. "There's no Sableye in the Shadow Lands either."

Cleo looked down at her. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." Harlequin looked over at the Sableye. "The only ghost is Enigma."

Cleo felt her heart rate increase. That meant these Pokemon were...

"Outlaws visiting a Heretic lab.." She'd barely noticed she'd spoken out loud.

"Lab?" Faith whispered. She eyed the building curiously.

The door must have opened because the Sableye vanished out of sight. The Flygon decided to lie down in the meantime, curling his tail around him as he kept his large, red, glassy eyes on the building.

"They're delivering Pokerus," Cleo whispered.

Faith looked at her, confusion filling her violet eyes. She said nothing, but had clearly noticed Mischief tense up at Cleo's side. He bristled, looking anywhere but at the lab or the Flygon.

None of them said another word. They moved back into the trees enough to hide themselves but still keep the building in view. Spark was growing frustrated, fidgeting on Cleo's shoulder. She knew she wanted to get out of there. Mischief felt the same, standing stock still and staring down at his paws.

Cleo couldn't help but notice Faith's extreme interest in the building. She never took her eyes off it.

Whatever the Sableye was doing, he didn't take very long. Soon, the air was filled with the vibrations from the Flygon's wings as he took into the air, flying away from them. They watched as the slender dragon Pokemon moved away over the canopy, completely oblivious to their presence.

The lab was left in silence. No other Pokemon waited outside it. That meant all the members of the lab were behind the walls our out running errands.

If they were out, then they may find them.

"Okay, let's move on." Cleo gave the building one last glance and turned away.

"I wonder if he's still in there?"

Faith's voice drew their attention. She was stood staring at the building, scratching her chin with a claw.

"Who?" Spark asked. "The Sableye?"  
"No. Enigma."

Cleo felt her eyes widen. "Wha-?"

Spark snorted. "Have you gone mad? He wasn't carried there on that Flygon's back."

"I know that," Faith laughed. "He told me he was going to visit a Heretic lab."

"_Told_ you?" Cleo scoffed. "When?"

"Two nights ago."

Cleo raised an eyebrow. Words failed her.

"Two nights?" Spark didn't sound remotely impressed.

"Yes," Faith answered. "I knew he was there. He wanted my attention. So I got up to see what he wanted."

"Weren't you on watch?" Cleo asked.

"Yes." Faith's smile dropped at Cleo and Spark's expressions. "I realised my mistake. It was foolish."

Spark smacked a paw against her own face. "It could have been an ambush!"

"I know. I'm sorry." Faith rubbed her paws together and looked over at the building. "He didn't seem very well either. I'm a little worried."  
Cleo, Spark and Mischief exchanged glances.

"You're... worried?" Spark said slowly. "About an assassin who wants to kill us?"  
"She's right." Harlequin moved over to Faith and looked back at Cleo. "You're _all_ right. But... those Heretics held us captive. If he's wounded, then... he can't exactly fight all of them." Her voice rose with panic and she looked back out at the lab. "And the sort of things they do in that place-"

The Zorua was cut off as Faith was engulfed in light. It expanded and shattered, and she stood there in her mega form. She looked over at Cleo then down at Harlequin.

"Wait here. I won't be long."

She turned and ran from the trees.

Cleo took a step forward and stretched out a paw. "Wait! Faith!" She sighed and let her paws drop to her side.

"Yeh, I know." Spark sat down on Cleo's shoulder. "She's a little bit barmy."

...

Faith paused to look up at the door. It wasn't especially tall, about four foot high at most. She considered knocking, but it was obvious she might not be welcome. Trying to open it might reveal it was locked, and then they would know someone was trying to get in. All that was left to her was to bust it down.

She shrugged and gave the door a hefty kick. It splintered and flew open, revealing a narrow corridor. A Sandslash stood on the other side, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Hi there!" She gave him a smile. "I'm looking for Enigma?"

His eyes narrowed and he flexed his claws, hunching forward causing his spikes to bristle across his back.

"Oh dear." Faith gave a small shrug. "I take it he's here then?"

The Sandslash ran at her, raising his long, sharp claws. Faith turned, bringing one of her jaw-like horns in an upward arch to connect with his chin. He was sent arcing back down the corridor, landing in a sprawled-out heap on the immaculate floor.

Faith strolled past him, pausing to check he was okay. Relieved he was merely unconscious, she stood and looked down the two corridor's that branched off from the main one. Voices were coming from her left behind a closed door. She nodded to herself. It was better to take the quieter route first, and if he wasn't there, she could come back here with questions.

She followed the corridor until it ended at another door. She tried the handle and it opened, revealing an office. It wasn't locked? She slipped inside and quickly scanned the room.

Empty.

This seemed a little too convenient. If it wasn't locked then why was no one in here?

She moved into the office, noting that it had clearly received a fire at some point. Soot trailed up the walls, and as she took it all in her eyes fell on a set of double doors in the left wall.

"Hmm..."

She moved over to them slowly. No windows, and again it didn't appear to be locked. She threw them open and let out a small gasp. It was a room filled with cells. What were these Pokemon doing?

She shook it off, turning her attention to the heavy cage hanging from a chain. Enigma sat inside it, eyeing her with confused curiosity.

She didn't have any time to exchange pleasantries however. A large Raichu was running at her, his tail raised above his head. His cheeks and fists sparked wildly and Faith didn't have much time to dodge. She twisted sideways as a jolt of electricity just skimmed her fur. She grabbed the Raichu in one of her horns and shook him from side to side before sending him skidding across the floor into the bars of an empty cell.

Faith turned her attention back to Enigma.

"I have to say, I'm a little surprised at how lax they are on guards!"

Enigma frowned. "It's lunch time."

"Oh!" Faith chuckled. "Spark was right!" She turned her back on the cage. "Stand back!"

Her right horn latched onto the cage bars, squeezing them together like a pincer. Static electricity tingled across it, spreading through her body. It didn't last long. She jerked her horn free from the cage, sending the mangled sheet of metal crashing to the floor, the loud clatter echoing off the empty walls.

Something else had caught her eye while she'd been fighting with that cage. One of the cells had several Pokemon in, watching her with frightened eyes. She rushed over to them and using the same method, chewed a huge hole in the criss-crossed bars.

Enigma slipped out of the cage, not taking his eyes off the Mawile.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

Faith gave him a grin. "I'm rescuing you!"

The double doors swung open and they both turned to them. A male Meowstic stood there looking from Enigma to Faith and back.

"What is going on here?" he demanded.

Faith moved over to him, opening her mouth to speak, but she froze as Enigma lurched forwards, his face twisted in a sadistic grin.

He grabbed the Meowstic by his ruff and rammed him up against the door.

"This is payback," he growled.

He slipped his right paw onto the Meowstic's chest. His claws became transparent, vanishing beyond the blue fur.

Faith's heart leapt into her throat. "Enigma, no!"

The Meowstic let out a blood curdling scream, reverberating around the room. It came to an abrupt stop as his body went limp. Enigma withdrew his paw, now coated in a thick layer of crimson blood. A trickle ran down the Meowstic's front and he slumped to the floor.

Faith had both paws clasped over her mouth, her eyes wide with horror. Her focus had been shattered and she now stood in her normal form. All she could do was stare at the poor Meowstic, her breath coming in quick bursts as she tried to fathom what had just happened.

Enigma said nothing. He shook his paw, spattering red droplets onto the white floor, then moved out into the office.

Faith followed him, her mind still trying to process the situation. She paused as he stopped at the desk, eyeing up an open file with intense curiosity. He grabbed it in his blood-soaked claws giving it a skim over, then looked up sharply as the door clicked open.

A Grovyle froze in the doorway and all colour seemed to leave her face.

Enigma chuckled and advanced towards her.

"Leave her!" Faith grabbed his left paw and dragged him with her.

The Grovyle leapt aside, letting Faith slip through the door. Her cries followed after them, pained and filled with despair.

"Rio!"

Faith screwed her eyes shut briefly. She couldn't believe it. She'd not expected this. It was a simple rescue plan, there weren't meant to be any casualties.

Her heart lurched into her throat as a Vigoroth looked up at her from the stirring Sandslash. He narrowed his eyes at her and stood up.

She didn't want any more trouble. Her feet pounded the floor in a desperate bid to reach the exit, but the chink of sharp claws on the tiles caused her to look back. The Vigoroth was chasing after them, his claws raised and surrounded by an eerie black light. Her eyes widened with the realisation of the Vigoroth's chosen attack.

"Look out!"

She threw Enigma behind her, the Vigoroth's claws narrowly missing him. She used the momentum of the Banette's body weight to swing round and bring her horn up in an arc, colliding with the Vigoroth's face with a sickening thud. He grunted and flew sideways, crashing into the wall. He was mildly dazed, but still concious, blinking his eyes as he tried to fathom the situation.

Faith didn't hesitate. Still clutching the Banette's paw, she turned and dragged him after her.

"Thunder! Ray!"

The Vigoroth's voice echoed down the hall, fading as Faith managed to burst through the splintered door.

There was no way she was taking Enigma straight to Cleo and the others, but they needed to hide and fast. She moved past Cleo's hiding spot, heading for one several feet away. She dragged the Banette through the trees until the lab was no longer in plain sight. When she came to a stop she rounded on Enigma, keeping him between her and a solid tree trunk.

"Why did you do that?" she demanded. "Why kill him?!"

Enigma snorted and folded his arms over the file. "You know, they're probably looking for us."

She narrowed her eyes. "Tell me!"

"Maybe you could tell me why you bother to rescue a Pokemon with my reputation?" He smirked. "And maybe enlighten me on your elaborate appearance during the whole endeavour as well?"

Faith shook her head and gave him an exasperated look. "I was rescuing you. You didn't need to kill anyone."

"You weren't exactly easy on that Raichu."

"I was subduing him, not killing him!"  
"You still attacked him."

"If I didn't subdue him, we'd have _both_ been behind bars! Or worse!"

Enigma examined his bloodied claws. "And if I hadn't killed Rio, he would have gone on with his insane experiments." He fixed her with a cold stare. "Then we'd _all_ be dead."

"Faith?"

They both looked over at the voice. Cleo moved through the trees towards them, accompanied by her friends.

"There's a group of them gathering outside." She looked from Faith to Enigma then raised an eyebrow at the Mawile. "What's going on?"

Enigma looked at each of the Pokemon and when he noticed Harlequin, he snorted. "I'm out of here. I've got stuff to do."

He tossed the file high into the air and warped, catching it as he landed in the trees. Faith watched helplessly as he skipped away through the canopy.

Cleo watched Enigma vanish out of sight then turned to Faith.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

Faith looked at her and seeing Cleo's concerned expression forced a smile.

"I'm fine. At least he's no longer behind bars."

Spark blinked. "If it weren't that Heretic lab, I'd disagree."

Cleo ushered the Mawile forwards and glanced back over her shoulder. "We need to move on, they're going to be searching the forest for you soon."

Faith nodded and followed after her. The slow footsteps behind her caused her to look back. Harlequin was staring at the floor with a solemn expression that filled Faith with concern.

"Are you okay, Harlequin?"

Harlequin looked up at her and gave a half-smile. "Yeh." She looked up at the trees. "I'm just glad he's okay."

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	37. A Cry For Help

**A/N - Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, faved and followed! =D You're all awesome!**

**I don't really have much to say today. I just hope you enjoy this one.**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

37 – A Cry For Help

Mint crossed her arms and hugged herself, stifling the tears that were welling up in her eyes. She stood with the rest of Rio's team in silence as they watched Razorclaw cover his body with soil.

When the Sandslash finally stood back, Sandpaw shuffled forwards, clutching a red flower in her paws. She placed it on the mound of soil and retreated backwards, wiping her eyes with her foreleg.

Mint rubbed the Furret on the back and turned away, leading the silent Pokemon back to the lab.

She would have gone into Rio's office, but she couldn't bring herself to. She led them down the other side of the corridor into the small room they used when they needed a break. A long, low table stood in the middle of the room surrounded by little stools.

Tantrum fell into one and finally broke the silence.

"Well, what we gonna do now?"

Mint sighed and sat down opposite him. "I think we're all wondering that."

"We never discussed somethin' like this," the Vigoroth went on. "Does someone take over?"

Mint leant forwards on her knees and focused on the grain in table's woodwork. "I don't want to take over."

"Neither do I." Tantrum scratched his head with his long claws. "I aint a single clue what we're doin'. Rio were th'genius. Not me."

"I was just a guard," Razorclaw rasped.

Thunder and Ray nodded, and when Mint looked at Rowap and Spelon – the Plusle and Minun – they just shrugged.

Sandpaw hugged Scout on her lap and looked at the Grovyle. "I think it's down to you, Mint."

Mint sighed and wrung her paws together. "Then I'm disbanding us."

The group stiffened and looked at her.

"Wha'?" Tantrum gasped.

"I can't continue this!" She threw her arms in the air. "This was Rio's group, not mine. We broke off because of a difference in opinion, I only came back because I was worried about him. I only knew about Pokerus, but he wanted to use it for war. I never wanted to start a war, I just wanted to hide. Now we're left cleaning up his mess." She paused and looked from one Pokemon to the next, taking in each bewildered face. "Can any of you honestly say his experiments were sane?"

The other Pokemon looked at each other nervously. Razorclaw shook his head slowly, and one by one the others copied him.

"Nah, they weren't." Tantrum sighed. "We only stood by him 'cos we thought he had a point."

"We all lost our homes," said Razorclaw. "And family." He looked at Rowap and Spelon and the two nodded and shrank down in their seats.

"You all want to stop Hydreigon and I back you on that," said Mint. "But Rio went about it the wrong way. And now, there are loads of Pokemon running around out there with no memories and Pokerus in their bodies. It's only a matter of time until..." She trailed off and visibly flinched.

"Then there's Enigma," said Tantrum. "He still has his memories. What if he hunts us down?"

"He probably will!" said Thunder. "He's already killed Rio. We're the ones who shocked him in the first place!" He pointed between himself and Ray. "We're the reason he couldn't get out of that cage!"

Ray's face turned from black to grey and Mint worried for a moment the Heliolisk was going to faint and fall off his stool. She braced herself but Thunder put a paw on his back and he leant forwards, slowly regaining his colour.

"I stand by my decision," said Mint. "We disband."

The others nodded silently and Tantrum looked up at her.

"Where do we go? The Outcasts won't 'ave us." He narrowed his eyes. "And I aint joinin' no Heretics." The last sentence was laced with a warning tone.

Mint leant back slightly and nodded. "I know. So we... we head to the Border Woods."

"And become outlaws?!" Tantrum gasped.

"Yes." She gave him a graven look. "It's what we've always been, isn't it? Hiding in a Heretic lab was a ruse."

"But..." Tantrum scratched his head. "Yeh. Yeh, yer right. Thing is, in the Border Woods, we're gonna stand out like a sore paw."

"Yes," said Sandpaw. "The outlaws are made up of dragon and dark Pokemon, with the odd poison and ghost amongst them."

Mint shrugged. "What other choice do we have?"

Sandpaw fell silent and leant her chin on Scouts head.

"Okay then." Tantrum gave the other Pokemon in the room a quick glance. "If we join the outlaws then we need to clean up this mess. Get rid of all th'Pokemon that have Pokerus."

"How are we going to find them?" Razorclaw asked.

"It's only a matter o' time when they go mad. We just follow the trail o' destruction."

"What about the dragons?" Sandpaw asked.

"What about 'em?"

"They'll surely know there's other Pokemon types living in the Border Woods!"

"They also know about the outlaws," Tantrum told her. "An' they manage just fine."

"Plus there's safety in numbers," said Mint. "We've been working with the outlaws for some time. They'll know us. They'll back us up."

"What about our plan against Hydreigon?" Thunder asked. "And Enigma?"

"We make a new plan," said Mint. "But we'll cross that bridge when we get to the Border Woods. We might get more Pokemon on our team then, and we'll stand a better chance in this fight."

Scout's eyes lit up. "So we're becoming outlaws and fighting bad guys?!"

Tantrum chuckled. "Sure. That's what we're doin'."

"Cool!" He looked up at his mother. "We're gonna win right? We're gonna be heroes!"

She rubbed his head and smiled. "Yes, you'll be a big hero."

"Then it's sorted." Mint struck both her paws on the table and stood up. "We move out today. Grab what you need and meet me outside."

She turned and left the room. The other Pokemon followed her out, chatting quietly amongst themselves. There was no joy to their voices. Mint was aware this was a huge, unexpected change but she couldn't stay here, and these other Pokemon had told her none of them knew what to do now. She was doing the right thing, wasn't she?

She moved down the hallway and opened the door, stepping outside into the brisk air. The wind blew through her head leaf before settling into a breeze. It was empty, desolate, not a Pokemon in sight. But not being in sight didn't mean there wasn't someone lurking, hiding in the shadows. She'd lived in this forest long enough to know that, and now she was going to leave it behind, moving on to lands unknown to her.

It made her feel a little sick.

"We're ready."

She looked back at Tantrum, standing behind her with the other Pokemon. Each one had a small bag strewn over their shoulder.

"Shall we be off then?" he asked.

Mint nodded. "Yes. Does anyone know the way?"  
"Wait fer sunset an' follow the red clouds." Tantrum adjusted his bag and moved past her. "It's always red over th'Shadow Lands."

Mint swallowed drily and followed after Tantrum. The rest of the group shuffled slowly after her.

...

Sandpaw watched helplessly as the other Pokemon moved away, clutching Scout in her arms. As they moved out of sight, she licked her lips and looked nervously from the Sandslash's vanishing back to the trees on her right.

Finally, she closed her eyes and ran blindly into the trees.

"Aren't we going with them?" Scout asked.

Sandpaw shook her head violently. "No. No, we're not."

...

Enigma came to a stop at an open stretch of land beside the river. The forest continued on the other side, connected to his side by a tree that had fallen a long time ago. The roots of the fallen tree arched into the air and curled back down again, ending in a rotten, moss-covered point.

The trees had shed their leaves onto the ground, coating it in a thick blanket that overflowed into the river. The odd leaf was occasionally washed away, carried along the river like a little raft, and several were stuck to rocks that jutted out of the clear water, beaten in place by a frothy spray as the river rushed by them.

Enigma flopped down onto the floor, not caring to hide himself in the shadows. His concerns lay in the folder he was still carrying. Something had snatched his attention when he saw it open on Rio's desk. The title – Project C – had stood out loud and clear at the top of the open page. Below that was something on Pokerus that at first glance had absolutely nothing to do with him, but he wanted to know more about it, even if the thought filled him with an icy dread.

He popped it open on his lap and skimmed the first few pages of scrawled notes on Type 18. Rio had already told him about that. He'd even included a little note on giving the information to Boomer, and how the dragon had failed to deliver the information to Hydreigon. It was all old news to Enigma. He flicked on ahead until he spotted the page that had piqued his interest. There it was – Project C scrawled at the top of the page as he remembered it.

_'Project C is the next instalment into our super-powered army. Project B wasn't quite a failure, but we had lost all the notes in the fire that devastated our lab research._

_'Here I shall write what I remember of it. Project B was a Tyranitar chosen for our Pokerus research. This new strain was discovered in our lab when an Oddish showed to be improving drastically in a training regime. We pulled this Pokemon aside and examined it, and were surprised to find Pokerus. However, this strain seemed slightly different as it pushed the Pokemon past its normal capabilities. It did, however, wear off and the Pokemon's power's remained the same. The odd thing about it was how none of the other Pokemon contracted it. It wasn't contagious. Normally Pokerus would move from host to host, but this strain just developed, and went away._

_'The sample was taken to a lab in the Border Woods where the Pokemon there examined it and modified it. The ways are unknown to me, but the virus mutated vastly. It was delivered back for further experiments and Project A was born._

_'Unfortunately Project A reacted badly to the virus and ended up attacking itself until it was completely mutilated. It seemed the new strain caused madness after a mere few hours of infection. This was reported back to the lab and they made some more modifications. The next batch was sent over and we started Project B._

_'Project B was a success, increasing in strength with every battle. We thought it would become a power-house, one of many in a vast army. However, after a season passed by, it started to exhibit signs of madness. It would fall into a blind hysteria, attacking anything that moved. We had no choice but to remove all Pokemon as sparring partners providing a moving target. However, during these outbursts, its attention was taken from the targets provided, instead deciding to rampage around the room in an attempt to get out. This would wear off and the Pokemon would have no memory of the events, regaining its normal composure. We felt it best to remove the Pokemon's memories entirely in fear that it would target those it knew in its rampage. Unfortunately it's not that simple a task. If the Pokemon is awake, it is constantly taking in information and making more memories, but when it is asleep it dreams. I removed as many as I could and hoped for the best. It seemed to work as when it fell into its outbursts it would keep attacking the moving target rather than hunt around the room._

_'After four seasons passed from the start of the experiment, Project B was completely consumed by madness. We were left with the decision to destroy it, or keep it. Its strength was remarkable, so it was decided to keep it in chains. An army of these monsters would give us an edge in our attack on the Shadow Lands._

_'Then Type 18 showed up. We selected several of the Pokemon with this type – a Snubbul, an Azumarill and a Whimsicott – and after a month of training removed their memories and sent them out into the world with a tracking device. We intended to track their progress to see how much damage they could do when they hit a burst of hysteria. However, it was reported that the Whimsicott lost its tracking device, and the Snubbul and Azumarill have long since vanished off our radar._

_'Project C, however, must not fail. We will not make the same mistakes. Our test subject will keep its memories so its first target will be the Pokemon it is closest to-'_

Enigma stood up and threw the file to the floor, giving it a hefty kick.

"What have you done to me?!"

He turned his back on the offensive object and put his hand to his chest, his breath coming out in heavy gasps. He couldn't believe it. The more he read, the sicker he felt. Rio had been completely insane. He'd believed he could build an army of monsters to attack the Shadow Lands and had dragged Enigma into it.

He'd tried to turn him into one of his monsters.

He looked down at his paw, still red with sticky blood, and frowned. He didn't want anything to do with that crazed Meowstic any more. He should wash it off. Turning sharply, he staggered towards the river, teetering slightly as the momentum threw him off balance. Great, he felt dizzy. After reading all that, he wasn't even entirely sure if it was from the Pokerus or sheer terror.

He dropped onto his knees by the water and stuffed his paw under the freezing surface. Gritting his teeth as the icy water washed over his claws, he scrubbed his fur with his other paw, removing the congealed blood that was oddly reluctant to come out.

His mind reeled with the information he'd just taken in. Putting the string of events together, it didn't make sense. Weren't they Heretics? Weren't they trying to win favour with Hydreigon? If not, then why bother to tell Boomer about 'Type 18' in the first place?

His mind was too muddled to make head nor tail of it. Maybe there was something about this elaborate plan in the file? He'd seen Boomer's name in there, the events had been recorded.

Satisfied he'd removed all of the blood, he scrambled back to the file. None of the pages had torn free after he'd struck it, but it was lay open, the papers rustling in the wind. He flipped it back to the beginning and skimmed over the writing.

Nothing.

All that was written was: '_We put our plan into action and sent for Boomer to demonstrate Type 18. Once he'd seen it for himself, he was sent to Hydreigon to deliver the news but was unfortunately killed on the way. This failure may not have been a bad thing, as it was pointed out to us that giving Hydreigon such information might not have the affect we desired and instead would cause the dragon to riot._'

That was it.

A plan... he'd glossed over it. Enigma slammed the file closed and looked around for something to destroy it with. There were some large stones and pebbles by the river. If he could find some that were dry enough...

The Meowstic probably hadn't felt the need to write such information down. If it were meant to be his legacy, then anyone that heard about it would likely know his plan anyway. Enigma couldn't see any logical sense in telling Hydreigon about a type that could indefinitely wipe him out as though he were nothing more than a mere Caterpie being engulfed in flames. Maybe it was just a convoluted effort to win favour with him, to trick him into believing his lab was on his side. But why reveal part of his plan?

Enigma snorted, sorting through the scattering of pebbles. He'd found some that were dry enough to cause some sparks. He returned to the folder and smashed the stones together. The first spark didn't take, so he struck them a few more times until little sparks of flame started to eat up the pages.

There.

Whatever it was, it was done. Over.

He picked up the folder and watched as the flames spread across the paper, dropping little ashen wisps towards the ground that were burnt up before they touched the dry leaves.

The lab wouldn't be getting this information back. The question was, would they try again? Without Rio, they would need to start over. Unless one of them was educated enough to continue on with such a ridiculous idea. One thing he'd clearly not considered was what he'd do after his army had ravaged the Shadow Lands.

It was clear to Enigma which side would have won. No army of Pokemon would be able to withstand a wave of Pokemon that had a massive type advantage, never mind an army fuelled with murderous insanity caused by a mutated, power-enhancing, parasitic virus. So what would happen when they had nothing left to destroy?

He flicked the remains of the file into the air and watched as the flames combusted over it and vanished, leaving it to fall to the ground as tiny sparks of ash. The leaves began to smoulder and spark and small flames sprouted from them.

They'd find something else to destroy. They'd move across the region, wiping out any Pokemon they could get their claws on.

He crushed the flames under his foot and smothered them into the dirt.

Rio was an idiot.

...

_"Help! Please, help!"_

Cleo stirred and mumbled, rolling over on the grass.

"Cleo?"

She opened her eyes and blinked, the dull yellow of the tent coming into focus. Spark stirred at her side and sat up, rubbing her large, black eyes.

Mischief stared at her from outside, leaning on his right paw to peer over his shoulder.

"Erm... someone's here."

Cleo stood up, stooping as she left the tent.

"Someone's here?" she asked.

"Yes. She's asking for help."

She looked past Mischief and had to gather herself for a moment as words seemed to vacate her head.

A Furret stood shaking a few feet away, clutching a young Sentret in both arms. She glanced at the tent and from Mischief to Cleo, then her eyes fell on Spark as she strutted forward to stand between Cleo and the Furret.

"What's going on?" the Dedenne asked.

"I'm not sure..." Cleo frowned at the Furret. She could just make out the Heretic tattoo on her left shoulder. "You're a Heretic?"

The Furret shook her head violently. "No! No, I'm not!"  
"But you have the tattoo-"

"I didn't want it! No... I'm not..." She hugged the Sentret tighter, causing him to wriggle and protest. "We ran... I don't know where to go."

"Ran from what?" Cleo moved towards the Furret, ignoring the grunt of protest as a sleeping Harlequin was dragged from the tent.

"Cleo, you can't -" Spark was cut off as Cleo strode over her head. "Argh! I hate it when she does that."

The Furret backed away from her, twisting her body to turn the Sentret away as though she worried Cleo was going to hurt her child. Her demeanour seemed to change when she spotted the badge on Cleo's bag.

"You're... Guild members..."

Cleo nodded. "Yes."

"You... help lost Pokemon, don't you?"

"Usually. Are you trying to get somewhere?"

"I thought you might be Guild members." The Furret shifted uneasily. "Please help us. We don't know where to go!" She flopped to the floor and released the Sentret, covering her face with her paws as she burst into tears.

The Sentret looked up at her. "We were meant to go to the Border Woods!"

"We're not going there!" she squealed through her paws.

Cleo raised her paws. "Okay! Okay, calm down. What's happened?"

The Furret looked up at her, drying her eyes with her paws. "Everyone went to the Border Woods."

"Everyone? Who's everyone?"

"Everyone." She took a deep breath then jolted, her eyes fixed on something behind Cleo. "Oh my goodness!" She leapt to her feet, dragging the Sentret by his paw and throwing him behind her.

Cleo looked back with a start. Harlequin stood looking a little fed up, her eyes bloodshot with tiredness.

"Oh, Harlequin." Cleo looked back at the Furret. "It's okay. She won't hurt you."

"You're _friends_?!" the Furret hissed.

"Not exactly. She's... a captive." Cleo indicated her bracelet. "She can't use her attacks, or move two feet away from me."

"I'm not sure." The Furret looked from Harlequin to Cleo. "Why is she with you?"

Cleo shrugged. "Believe me, I ask myself that question every day."

Harlequin snorted. "As do I." She looked at Cleo. "Mind standing closer to the tent? I want to go back to sleep."

Cleo turned to head back to the tent. Faith was standing at the entrance and stood aside for Harlequin. The Mawile gave Cleo a little smile.

"Is everything okay?"

"Erm." Cleo looked back at the Furret.

She hadn't bothered to follow her. She was still standing protectively over her child, watching them with confusion and fear.

"Oh my!" Faith clapped her paws together. "What a delightful little hatchling!"

The Mawile scooted over to the Furret and crouched down so she was on the little Sentret's eye level.

"You're not even fully grown! How old are you?"

"I'm _am_ grown! I'm a big boy!" the Sentret retorted.

"He only hatched at the start of the warming season," said the Furret.

"So two seasons!" Faith gasped. "Wow, you're going to be tall!" She looked up at the Furret. "You look positively shattered. Why don't you come inside?"

"Wow." Spark looked up at Cleo. "It's gonna get really cozy in there tonight."

Cleo watched as the Furret's demeanour changed from worried to calm in a mere moment. Faith had certainly had a calming affect on the frightened Pokemon. She may very well have the Heretic tattoo, but she was almost certain this Pokemon wasn't lying. No mother in her right mind would want to put her child in danger, so there was little chance she'd risk a fight when she was outnumbered.

"Are you sure there's room?" the Furret asked.

Faith laughed. "Oh, it'll be fine! I'll just squeeze myself into a corner! I'm Faith, by the way. And the Meowstic there is Cleo."

"And who's the tiny Dedenne?" the Sentret asked.

"Oi!" Spark waved a fist at him. "I'm a big girl!"

"That's Spark," said Faith. "And the nice Whimsicott on watch is Mischief."

Mischief gave a little wave.

"Oh, he looked worried when I ran over." The Furret covered her mouth. "I'm sorry."  
Mischief shrugged. "You don't need to apologise for being lost."

"You do when it wakes me up!" Harlequin snapped from the tent.

The Furret's face fell. "Hmm... I'm not sure I'm happy staying in a tent with..." She trailed off and gave a small nod to the tent.

"That's fine," said Cleo. "I'll kick her out for the night. It's my watch next anyway."

Harlequin's face appeared in the opening. She fixed her blue eyes on Cleo and frowned.

"My name's Sandpaw," said the Furret. "And the little one is Scout."

Faith smiled at him. "Scout, huh?" She looked back at Cleo. "Are you sure this is all right? I just can't turn a mother with a little child away like this."

Cleo smiled. "It's fine. I can tell when I'm being lied to, and she's telling the truth."

"Thank you." Sandpaw smiled. "I really hope we're not an imposition. I just didn't know what else to do. When I saw you, I-" She trailed off and wiped her eyes with a paw. "I just found myself asking for help."

"Come on." Faith ushered her towards the tent. "Get some sleep, you're exhausted."

As Faith entered the tent, Harlequin slipped out and moved round the side, curling up in the shadow of the large rock they'd camped beside. Her blue and black colouring caused her to blend in almost seamlessly.

Mischief caught Cleo's eye and she looked at him. He shrugged and leant forward on his knees, making himself look oddly small. The moonlight reflected off his smooth fur, defining his build and when he glanced back up at her, she became aware that she was staring. Her face flushed and she glanced away from him, flexing her paws and trying to fathom the anxiety that was slowly filling her. She looked back down at him and cleared her throat.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

He shrugged again. "I can't say I wasn't a little surprised."

She gave a nervous laugh and sat down next to him.

"You should go back in there." He nodded to the tent. "You need more sleep than that."  
"It's almost my shift anyway. I may as well stay up and keep you company."

She stared out across the glen. The land here was flat, but the horizon was filled with the tops of the mountains that surrounded the Moorland's Forest. Trees were few and far between so they'd had to improvise with the tent using a long, stiff plant broken in two and stuffed into the ground, joined together with a stringy, vine-like weed which they tossed the sheet over. So far it had worked, but Spark was waiting for the moment it would fall down on top of them.

"It's not for a while," Mischief told her.

She looked at him. "Huh?"

"Your shift. It's not for a while."

"I really don't mind."

She glanced back at the tent and he followed her gaze, then gave an understanding nod.

"You don't trust the Furret do you?" He kept his voice low and poked at the ground with a thin twig.

"It's not that I don't believe her," she said softly. "I agree with Faith. But I find it hard to trust anyone."

Mischief chuckled. "You're total opposites."

Cleo fixed him with an amused stare. "What are you getting at?"

"She sees the good in everyone. She even went out of her way to rescue Enigma."

Cleo sighed. "Yes, I have to admit I don't really understand that one."

When they'd asked Faith why she'd done something so reckless, she'd merely smiled and said: 'A little bit of kindness can go a long way!'

Cleo shook her head in her paws.

"Personally I'd rather know that someone who is out to kill us is behind bars, out of the way."

Mischief looked at her. "He had his chance to kill us then though didn't he? And he didn't."  
"He was probably too surprised."

"Or Faith is right."

She removed her paws from her face to fix him with one eye.

"She has the same outlook as Rose," he went on. "She's a 'peace enthusiast' as Tinker put it. She showed kindness to Harlequin with the belief he can change. I think she'd be happy to know she's right – that showing a little kindness works."

"Enigma still tried to kill us," said Cleo. "And so did Harlequin. Pokemon like that should be locked away."

Mischief was quiet for a moment. He looked up at the sky, the occasional cloud blotting out the spread of stars.

"So did I."

Cleo felt herself jolt and she looked at him.

"Do you think I should be behind bars?" he asked.

She shook her head sharply and looked down at her paws. "You weren't in your right mind." She paused. "And you also saved our lives."

He was quiet, dragging the thin twig across the ground creating an illegible pattern in the dirt.

"If it weren't for you," Cleo went on, "then we'd be dead. That Noivern would have still attacked us even if we hadn't been trying to catch you when you robbed us. It would have still been flying over the forest, and it would still have targeted us. You really helped us back then."

"I still killed him," he said.

"It was self defence."

"It was still wrong."

Cleo stared down at her paws and rubbed them together nervously. "Maybe so." She looked out at the glen. "I don't really agree with it either. But unlike him, you're not evil."

"He could have had the chance to make amends."

"You believe that's even possible?"

"Yes." Mischief dropped his stick and leant back on his paws. "Yes, I do."

Make amends... Cleo looked over at Harlequin, just visible in the shadow of the large rock. She appeared to be asleep, but Cleo wasn't sure if she caught the glimpse of one of her blue eyes in the starlight. She turned away and leant back to look at the stars.

"Maybe you're right."

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	38. A Village by the Lake

**A/N - Thanks again for all reviews, faves and follows! =D**

**I spent way longer than I intended writing yesterday. I sat down for an hour, and four hours later had written over 6000 words and finished part 4 - which I am starting to upload today. I can now tell you some things - I intend for there to be five arcs to this story. So when I finish part 5, this fanfic should be completed. And if my guess is right, there will be around 65-70 chapters in total. Give or take. This should give you an idea of how long this story may end up being. (It may be longer than 70 chapters. It depends on if I get a flood of ideas that push me past my goal!)**

**Interesting fact - look forward to Monday. Because I'll be uploading one of my FAVOURITE CHAPTERS EVER.**

Part 4

38 – A Village by the Lake

"You're a funny colour." Scout was walking backwards, his eyes not leaving Harlequin. "Why are you such a funny colour?"

They'd been walking since sunrise, small bursts of conversation between them, but the loudest of them had been from Scout as he barraged Harlequin with endless questions. At this particular one, all Harlequin did was shoot him a glare.

Cleo kept a watchful eye on her just in case it looked like Scout was going to push too many buttons. Harlequin had been exceptionally patient so far, so much so that Sandpaw's anxious look had lessened as she stayed close enough to snatch him out of the way if need be.

"I've not seen an odd coloured Pokemon before," Scout went on. "But mum tells me they exist and they're rare. That makes you special, right?"  
Harlequin chuckled. "Sure. I'm special."

Scout didn't seem to pick up the sarcasm in her voice. He seemed satisfied by this answer and diverted to a different topic.

"And your an assassin too? Why do you use poisons? Why not just fight?"

"I prefer poisons."  
"But why?"

"It's sneakier."  
"I suppose..." Scout was thoughtful for a moment. "But if you don't fight, you don't evolve right? Is that why you're still a Zorua?"

Harlequin snorted. "Combat's still combat."  
"So you've not had enough combat to evolve?"

"I've seen my fair share."

"But you've not evolved! Why's that?"  
"Because I don't want to." Harlequin fired him a warning glare.

"But why?" Scout whined. "You'd be so much stronger!"

"Because I don't want to, okay?!" Harlequin snapped.

Sandpaw swept Scout from the ground and stepped out of the Zorua's range, her eyes wide with concern.

Harlequin sighed. "I wasn't going to bite him."

Sandpaw looked away from her and trotted over to Faith.

"I think that's enough questions for today," the Furret told her son.

"But I've not finished interviewing the bad guy!"

"I'm not a bad guy!" Harlequin let out a sigh and waved a paw. "Whatever. Believe what you want."

Sandpaw looked back at her and Scout twisted in her arms to fix his large eyes on the Zorua.

"Not a bad guy? But you're from the Shadow Lands!"  
"I'm not going back," Harlequin muttered. She looked away from them.

"Huh." Spark peered down at her from Cleo's shoulder. "Had a change of heart? When did that happen?"

"My guess is in the Fairy Garden." Faith smiled back at them.

Cleo looked at Harlequin. She'd noticed the Zorua's demeanour had changed from aggressive to more subdued, but she'd assumed this was merely because she'd resigned herself to her captivity. Being unable to use attacks and other Pokemon staying out of her reach, resistance was futile. But a change of heart? That hadn't crossed her mind at all.

Was this just a ruse?

"I mean, she did manage to enter it," Faith went on. "That should be enough indication she's looking for some kind of solitude."

"But who's to say it's definitely our side?" Cleo asked.

"_Your_ side!?" Harlequin snorted. She looked away from Cleo, her canines bared.

"Of course!" Faith flashed Harlequin a wide smile. "If you're fighting for Xerneas, we're on the same side!"

Harlequin's expression became unreadable. She kept her eyes on the ground, lagging sightly behind Cleo.

"You've mentioned this before."

The Furret's voice drew her attention away from Harlequin.

"We get there through the Endless Woods," the Furret went on. "It sounds too good to be true, but I'd be happy to go and look for it. But alone... it's a little daunting."

"We can do it!" Scout fist-pumped the air.

Faith chuckled. "He certainly has a lot of enthusiasm! But yes, please travel with a group. It's dangerous out there."  
"Are you going back there?" Sandpaw asked.

"I will be doing eventually. Right now, I've promised I'll help these Pokemon find the fire type they've been sent to look for." Faith was thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe we can find some more Pokemon who want to go and you can travel together in a group! Oh, Cleo!" Faith looked back at her. "Maybe we can send them to New C-"

Cleo leapt forward and clasped a paw over Faith's mouth, stifling the Mawile's words and causing them to come out in a mumble against her paw pads. Her violet eyes had widened with shock and she removed Cleo's paw from her face and gave her a quizzical look.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"Yes." Harlequin scrambled to her feet and shook her head, scattering dried leaves from her fur. "What _was_ that about?"

Spark was stood next to her, staring at Cleo with a look of amusement, but she said nothing.

Cleo looked from Sandpaw's confused face back to Faith.

"We can't say its name outside its walls," she hissed.

"Oh..." Faith scratched her head. "Then... how do Pokemon find it?"

"They go through the Guild." Cleo pushed Faith forwards and gave a small shake of her head. "Let's just move on, okay?"

They walked in silence for a moment, Faith seeming confused and a little embarrassed and Sandpaw looking increasingly anxious.

That had been a close call. Faith had very nearly revealed New City to a Pokemon with a Heretic tattoo, and Cleo wasn't entirely sure this Pokemon was even on their side. She glanced over at Mischief who'd been completely quiet since they'd left the camp that morning. He gave her a worried glance as though he was telling her he was thinking the same thing. They didn't know Sandpaw at all. She'd just... shown up.

But there was Mischief... a Pokemon with a Heretic tattoo and no memories. He'd been to New City, he'd joined the Guild. Cleo was certain they could trust him. Why would such rules not apply to a frightened mother and her child?

Cleo sighed. She couldn't bring herself to trust them. She didn't know them. This was a war.

"I feel like you were going to tell me something I'm not meant to know." Sandpaw broke the silence. "I can understand you won't want to tell me, especially if it could potentially endanger others. But I can assure you, I'm no threat."

"Nope! We're no threat to the good guys!" Scout wriggled out of his mum's arms and landed on the floor where he puffed out his chest. "I'm gonna be a _hero_!"

"Ooh!" Faith clapped her paws. "I think you'll be a great hero!"  
Sandpaw chuckled and scooped him back up again.

Scout let out a whine. "Heroes don't get carried, mum!"  
Spark's head poked out of Cleo's neck fur and she looked at her.

"What do you think, Cleo?" she asked quietly.

Cleo shrugged. "I honestly don't know."

...

"Ahh finally!"

Spark's eyes glistened at the sight before them. A little Outcast village was spread out beside the large lake. Like Tinker had said, it was just outside the Glen. Part of the village was built up the shallow slopes of the large hills that rose up at either side of the river but it was significantly less steeper than some areas of the Glen, making the hill easier to climb and possible to build on.

Calling it a little village might have been a bit of an exaggeration. It was little in comparison to New City, but it seemed more permanent than the temporary towns, and therefore bigger. The houses were of better quality, a majority of them being made from stone, with the odd wooden house springing up here and there as new Pokemon moved in. And, in typical Outcast tradition, in the centre of the village, visible over the sloping roofs of the houses, was the Guild headquarters.

Cleo had heard of this place, but she'd never visited it. It was marked on her map, but despite its more permanent appearance, it wasn't given a name. No settlements were given names. Names sounded too permanent, and there was the fear that Pokemon could develop attachments that would be difficult to break if they needed to suddenly evacuate.

Naming them gave hope.

They trudged over the grass towards the village. There was no wall spreading around the circumference. Such things were pointless. With the threat of airborne Murkrow flocks and winged dragon types and dark Pokemon such as Weavile that could climb, not to mention Enigma's ability to sneak through walls, building them would only cause Pokemon that couldn't scale them to become trapped in their own home with no way to escape.

"Wow!" Faith exclaimed. "It's nice to see an actual village!"

"What do you mean?" Sandpaw asked.

"Well, Pokemon have been living in shocking conditions! You need to be out in the open like this – free and happy. Not stuffed in a lab or hiding away in fea-ahh!"

The ground gave way beneath the Mawile's feet and she plummeted out of sight.

"Faith!"

Cleo shot to the edge of the hole with Harlequin and Sandpaw at her side. Faith was lay on her back on a pile of debris staring up at them, her violet eyes wide and her mouth hanging open as she tried to catch her breath.

"What... just happened?" she gasped.

"Are you all right?" Cleo asked.

"Yes, I think so. I just... Harlequin! Take a step back!"  
The Zorua gave her a look of confusion and obliged, stepping behind Cleo.

"What's the problem?" she asked.

"What's going on here?" A deep voice drew their attention from the Mawile.

A Garbodor moved over to them from a little alley between two houses, his eyes fixed on the large hole. He ran his right limb over what one could assume was his ear and let out a little groan.

"I'm terribly sorry about this. You've gone and fallen in."

"No kidding!" Spark snorted. "What is this? Some kind of trap?"

"Some kind of tunnel!" shouted Faith.

"Aye, it's a tunnel." The Garbodor peered over the edge. "You see, we had the Dugtrio try and dig us an escape tunnel, but this part of the ground is a little fragile and it was at risk of giving way. We were gonna secure it, but now... are you all right down there, milady?"  
He gave Faith a massive grin.

The Mawile smiled up at him. "I'm fine. But I'm a little stuck."  
"Awh, I can help you out, but I'm a little slippery. You are a steel type, right?"

Faith nodded and watched as the large poison Pokemon lowered his pipe-like arm down towards her.

Cleo stood back watching, trying not to flinch as a few drops of liquid dripped from his arm. It was too late for her to offer to raise Faith from the hole with her abilities, and she really didn't want to offend this Pokemon. He was being kind and helpful and was probably elated that he could help another Pokemon without risking poisoning them.

He effortlessly lifted Faith back onto the grass and gave her a fond smile.

"There you go, milady! Back on solid ground! But... I'd move away if I were you, perchance this part gives way too."

He waved a long limb at them to follow him to the town.

Faith trotted to keep up with him. "Thank you so much for helping me! You're very kind!"

He laughed heartily. "Oh don't worry! And you can wash your paws when we get inside! There's a little trickle that runs down through the hill!"

"A little trickle?" Spark asked. "I thought you used the lake. We're here to deliver medicinal berries to you!"  
He twisted his large, neck-less head to look back at her. "The 'trickle' is a diversion from the river to save Pokemon wandering too far at night. Unfortunately, it's still tainted."

"Oh." Spark retreated back into Cleo's fur.

Cleo joined the Garbodor's side.

"I'd also like to thank you for helping us out there," she said. "My name's Cleo. We're looking for Meredith. Is that you?"

"No, no!" The Garbodor laughed. "I'm Mulch. I was actually on my way to the lake to draw more poison out of it! It's a time consuming task, but we're getting there."

"Excuse me." Harlequin's nose was crinkled so much her brown furrowed. It was clear his odour was overpowering to her. "But wouldn't that just add more poison to the water?"

Mulch stared at Harlequin for a moment, his eyes squinting. Cleo was suddenly aware that this was not a young Pokemon, and his eyesight was failing. Her suspicion on this was clarified when he let out a little exclamation of surprise.

"There's a Zorua with you!"

"Yes," said Cleo. "She's a captive. She's no threat to you. She can't use her attacks nor can she leave my side."

"Oh dear, child." Mulch let out a sigh and rubbed his pipe over the back of his head. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to wait here while I go and find Meredith."

"There's no need for that, Mulch."

A Delphox moved over to them, followed closely by Tinker.

"I'm here," said the Delphox.

Faith gasped and pointed at Tinker. "How did he get here so fast?"

Spark shrugged. "We've just kinda accepted it as one of his many mysteries over the years."

Cleo suppressed her surprise at seeing the Riolu and instead turned her attention back to the Delphox.

"As for him," he nodded at Harlequin. "Tinker's enlightened me to the situation. Harlequin is a prisoner."

"Harlequin?" The Garbodor looked back at her, his large eyes impossibly larger. "Well, I never thought in all my day's I'd see Harlequin!"  
"Before you put me in the cells," Harlequin looked from the Delphox back to Mulch, "I'd like to know the answer to my question."

"Weren't you mocking him?" Spark snorted.

"No," Harlequin said flatly. "I am genuinely curious."

Mulch chuckled. "To answer that, no. It wouldn't add more poison to the water. Poison Pokemon can draw the toxins out of things to make them safer for other Pokemon."

"Yes, having some poison Pokemon around provides balance." The Delphox crossed his arms and leant back against one of the houses. "Having Mulch and his grandson around has been a big help recently."

Harlequin was staring at Mulch with great intensity. "I have so much I want to ask you."

Mulch laughed and closed his eyes. "Well, I'm not so sure I want to help out an assassin."

Harlequin sat down suddenly, her shoulders slumping.

Cleo looked away from her, aware that Tinker's eyes were burning holes into her head. Once he had her attention, he nodded at their two new companions.

"Who are these two? They have Heretic tattoos."

"Oh!" Cleo moved over to him, dragging the unwilling Harlequin behind her. "These are Sandpaw and her son Scout. They've escaped from the Heretic lab and are looking for somewhere safe."  
"So you brought them here?" Tinker didn't sound impressed.

"Please, sir." Sandpaw edged cautiously over to him, trying to maintain eye contact but her eyes kept drifting to the ground near his feet. "I never wanted to be a Heretic, and now the lab's gone I can tell you anything – what they were doing, and why they were doing it..." She trailed off as Tinker's glare intensified.

"So the lab has to have disintegrated for you to tell me what they're up to?"

"If I'd escaped sooner, I'd still be willing to tell you!"  
"Were you a worker or a subject?"

"Worker, but-"

Tinker cut her off with a wave of his paw. "I've heard enough. Now come on, Cleo. You can leave them here. We need to get those berries to the nurses."  
He cast one last glance back at Sandpaw and marched into the town.

Cleo looked back at the Furret. The shock and disappointment was clear on her face. She'd been hopeful. Hopeful she could find someone who could help her and her son, and she'd been dismissed so easily without even being heard out simply because she was a Heretic.

Cleo grit her teeth and looked away. Wasn't that what she was doing earlier? Being sceptical simply because she has a Heretic tattoo? Not willing to trust her?

"Tinker!" She caught up to the Riolu and grabbed his arm. He turned and looked down at her and she returned his look with an alarming glare. "Are you really going to dismiss her like that? She's alone with a child!"

"Then she can go and find some Heretics to help her."

"She's left them. She might have a tattoo, but so does Mischief-"

"Mischief was a victim."  
"You don't know that for certain."

"But _you_ do."  
Cleo released his arm but didn't remove her yellow eyes from his. "Hear her out at least. Please?"  
Tinker closed his eyes and sighed. "Very well." He looked back at the Furret. "Come with me. We'll go to my office."  
"Not the cells?" Cleo asked him.

"We don't have any cells," said the Delphox. "We don't keep Pokemon locked up here. Any attacks are dealt with by our warriors." He looked over at Sandpaw and folded his arms. "Let's just hope for their sake that they prove to be on our side."

A look of anxiety crossed Sandpaws face as she passed the Delphox to join Tinker. She'd clearly heard him, he'd intended it.

Tinker gave him a nod before leading the Furret and her son to the Guild headquarters.

The Delphox gave Cleo a smile. "Follow me. I'll show you where to deliver those berries."

He turned and moved away from them.

"Will they be okay?" Mischief asked. "I'm a little worried."

Mulch edged closer to them and leant into Cleo, the odour of rotting fruit rising from his body.

"Don't worry, child," he said. "They won't do anything to your friend. Any enemy Pokemon are caught and handed over to the Guild to be locked up in external cells away from here. Keeps the peace." He edged away from her and gave her a nod. "Go on. I'll see you later."

"Thanks, Mulch." Cleo waved a paw and watched as the Garbodor waddled away.

"He means the cells in the woods, doesn't he?" Mischief asked quietly.

"I think so. Well," she turned to her friends. "We'd better deliver those berries."

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	39. Sunset Dance

**A/N - I'm uploading this a day early because I'd rather not be a day late. I don't think I'll have chance to update tomorrow morning so... here you go. A rare treat of an early update! =D *confetti and trumpets!***

**Ahem...**

**Interesting fact - some of my characters end up with theme tunes, but not many get them outside of Pokemon remixes I've found on YouTube. Since it's relevant to this chapter, a lot of Enigma's character development has been inspired by a song by a band I like called Red - 'The Ever'. I recommend checking it out =D not just because it sets the tone for this chapter, but also because it's a brilliant song off a brilliant album!**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

39 – Sunset Dance

The road they were led along stretched through the centre of the village. The Delphox came to a halt at a squat stone building and glanced up at it before heading for the door. He was stopped as a Wigglytuff ran out, almost crashing into him. He stopped her by placing both paws on her shoulders and gave her a warm smile.

"Oh! Meredith!" Her large eyes widened with brief surprise.

"Why the rush?" he laughed.

"I was looking for you! Are they here?" She looked past him at Cleo and her group, and her gaze faltered on Harlequin. She looked back at the Delphox with a look of uncertainty. "Why is there-"

"I've been assured he's merely a prisoner."

"Shouldn't he be in the cells?"  
Meredith turned away from her to address Cleo. "You have the berries?"  
Cleo was well ahead of him. She pushed the pouch of pecha berries into his paws and stepped back from him.

"I hope there's enough there for you," she told him. "We should be on our way now."

Meredith handed the berries to the Wiggytuff without taking his eyes off Cleo.

"So soon?" he asked. "Take your time and get something to eat. You probably could do with a decent sleep too. There's rooms in the Guild Headquarters you can use."  
Spark poked her head out of Cleo's fur and glanced at her.

"He has a point. I, personally, would love a good night's sleep." The Dedenne looked around at Faith and Mischief. "Am I alone in this?"

Mischief's shoulders slumped slightly. "I am pretty tired, actually."

"I'm fine either way," said Faith. "But I wouldn't object if you decided to stay here. I'd like to meet some more Pokemon, so it's a great opportunity!"

Cleo made a thoughtful noise and turned to look back at Meredith. Harlequin's voice caught her before she could finalise her opinion on the matter.

"What's in the bag?"

Both Cleo and Meredith looked down at her while the Wigglytuff ducked behind him.

"Pecha berries," Cleo told her. "Why?"

Harlequin gave a snort and looked up at her. "For what poison, exactly?"

"Didn't we tell you? Someone poisoned the river with Seviper venom."  
Harlequin raised her eyebrows. "And you're using pecha berries for that?"

"Why wouldn't we?" Meredith asked. "They cure poison."  
"In a pinch they do okay, but you want the proper antidote." Harlequin turned to Mischief. "Pass me my bag."

Mischief turned his body so her bag was further away from her.

Harlequin sighed and closed her eyes. "Then do _you_ want to get it for me? It has a picture of a Zangoose on the bottle."

Faith moved over to Mischief and reached for the bag. "It's worth a look, at least. I mean, if there is an antidote in here, you may as well use it."

"Wait a moment." Meredith raised a paw, his brow furrowed and eyes narrowed. "Do you _trust_ this Pokemon?"

Faith looked back at him. "Trust?"

"No," Cleo said bluntly. She turned to Faith. "We don't."

"Maybe you don't trust me," said Harlequin. "But a user of poisons is going to carry counters to all popular poisons. It covers my back! If I get poisoned, I take the antidote. I have all counters to every poison in that bag except for Nidoking." She smiled at Faith. "So don't prick yourself on that horn."

"It wouldn't affect me anyway." Faith rummaged through the bag. "I'm part steel type, so I'm immune. It's a nice balance to my fairy typing, actually."  
"Fairy type?" Meredith frowned.

"I'll talk to you about it just as soon as we're done here. Ahah!" Faith let the flap of the bag fall back into place and held up a small vial. "Is this it?"  
Cleo squinted to see the label. There was indeed a picture of a Zangoose. A somewhat crude drawing of a silhouette that depicted its head, claws and tail.

"That's the one." Harlequin smiled and flicked her tail. "Zangoose are immune to most poisons thanks to their feud with Seviper. The stuff in that bottle was used by them for years, building up their intolerance to it. It's the perfect counter to the stuff. Use it."

Meredith took the bottle and turned it around between his claws. The clear blue liquid inside sloshed against the glass and he stared down at Harlequin.

"If this really isn't poison, you wouldn't be afraid to drink it."

"No, because it _isn't_ poison."

Meredith turned to the Wigglytuff and muttered something to her. She reached into her apron and pulled out a pencil. Meredith examined it briefly and popped open the vial, dipping the pencil bottom-first into the liquid. He pulled it back out and held it out to Harlequin.

"Prove it."

Harlequin gave a small sigh and stood up. She leant over to the pencil and licked it. With a grimace she sat back down, resisting any urge she had to spit the stuff back out.

"Why the sour look?" Meredith asked, a small smile playing at the side of his mouth.

"It's bitter," Harlequin answered. "They mix it with herbs. They taste nasty."  
Cleo felt a wave of relief through her chest. For a small moment there, she thought Harlequin had been having an adverse reaction, but from experience she knew those herbs were indeed very bitter. It was only fairly recently that Spark had shoved one in her mouth to wake her up. She looked at Meredith and shrugged.

"There you have it. It's genuine."  
Meredith examined the blue liquid once more. "Maybe we should wait and see what happens to him first."

"Harlequin's assured me enough times she's not suicidal," Cleo told him. "The evidence is there. Use the berries or the antidote. It's up to you."

The Delphox turned his eyes back to Harlequin. "Why would one of Hydreigon's assassins willingly hand over an antidote to his enemies?"

"Because I'm _not_ one of Hydreigon's assassins," Harlequin said flatly. "You might not be my friends, but I'm no longer your enemy. I don't expect a warm welcome in your village, so think of me more as an outlaw. Unwelcome, but unlikely to attack you without provocation."

"Not to mention she can't with that collar on," Spark added.

Meredith snorted and handed the vial to the Wigglytuff. "Ask them if they want to try it before you give it to them."

The Wigglytuff thanked the group meekly before retreating back inside the little medical building.

Meredith turned his attention back to the group of Pokemon. "I'm not sure what's going on here, but I thank you for bringing those berries. Now I strongly urge you to go to the Guild Headquarters and report to Tinker. I'm sure he wants to talk to you."

"Thank you, Meredith." Cleo rubbed a paw over her head and looked down at Harlequin. "So much is happening lately, I'm losing track myself."

Meredith gave her a smile and slipped into the medical ward.

Cleo turned and led the group towards the Guild building. The red flag with the yellow sun symbol rippled on the roof in the cold wind. Before they could reach the door, two Meinshao cut in front of them.

"I'm sorry," the smaller one said. "We can't let you in. Tinker's orders."

"What?" Spark snapped. "Why not?"

"Because we have no cells." The taller one waved at Harlequin. "Can't be letting him in now can we?"

Cleo sighed and ran a paw over her face. "Fine. What do you suggest we do?"

"You can wait in the shelter around the back?" the smaller one offered. He waved a paw at the narrow alley between the Guild and a berry store. "It's dry, and will keep the wind off."

"Aww man!" Spark wailed. "Barred from our own Guild!"

Cleo shrugged and cut between the two Meinshao. "We'll wait there. Send Tinker to us when he's available?"  
"Sure thing, Cleo." The smaller one gave her a smile. "If there was anything we could do, we'd offer. But... rules are rules, you know?"

"I understand."

"We'll be round with some food for you shortly!"

"Food?" Spark looked back at him. "You just won some awesome points!"

The two Meinshao laughed as they waved the group off.  
They filed through the narrow alley to the little shack around the back. It was a tatty, wooden structure with a weak door that looked like the wind could blow it off more so than be kept out.

The group spread out on the bed of hay, which Cleo was surprised was dry and fresh.

"Looks like they prepared this for us," she said.

"That's nice, at least." Spark fell from her shoulder and landed on her back in the hay. "I wonder how long they'll be with that food? I'm starving!"

Harlequin collapsed heavily into the bed of hay next to Cleo, causing the Meowstic to let out a small yell. She turned her head sharply to look at the Zorua. Her eyes were closed but she was breathing steadily.

"Are you okay?" she ventured.

"I'm fine," said Harlequin. "Why? Are you worried I'd tricked them into taking a poison?"

Cleo didn't want to admit she actually was. She looked away from Harlequin and crossed her paws in her lap, exchanging looks with Mischief who was sitting opposite her next to Faith. The Whimsicott seemed to be mirroring her thoughts and he glanced at Harlequin briefly before turning his attention to the open door.

"I think it was really nice what you did," Faith said with a smile. "Offering to help them like that."

Harlequin opened one eye and fixed it on the Mawile, but she remained silent.

"I know it can be hard to win another Pokemon's trust," Faith went on, "but if that's what you're trying to do, you're taking the right steps."

Harlequin closed her eye again and sighed. "Well, you're the only one who sees that."

...

Cleo rubbed a paw over her eyes and yawned. She pushed herself up and blinked a few times as she tried to focus on her surroundings. They were still in the shack, and light was pouring in through the open door. She was suddenly aware all of them had fallen asleep. Faith was lay on her back next to Mischief who was curled in a small ball, his brown body almost completely hidden under his mass of white fluff. She looked down at Spark, lying on her back next to her and emitting snores much too loud for her size. On her other side was Harlequin, curled up but awake as her blue eyes were watching her.

Cleo licked her lips and looked away from her, glancing once more around the little shack.

"How long have we been asleep?"

"All night."

She looked back at Harlequin in alarm. "All night!? Did Tinker show up?"

"Nope." Harlequin yawned widely, flashing two rows of sharp teeth, and pushed herself up to scratch behind her ear with a rear foot. "He never showed."

"Well... what if he did and we were all asleep?"

Harlequin snorted. "Do you really think he would have left it that way?"

Cleo gave a dry chuckle. "Actually I'm not quite sure." She paused and looked back at Harlequin. "When did we fall asleep? I don't actually remember."

"It was after dinner." Harlequin yawned again. "But the sun hadn't set yet."

Cleo covered her mouth and yawned, glancing over at the empty plate in the middle of the floor.

"I've not slept like that in a long time!" She looked down at the Dedenne. "Even Spark's still out."

Spark twitched next to her and kicked out with her back leg.

"Spark?"

"No, Digger," Spark muttered. "I don't wanna go swimin'."

"Spark!" Cleo nudged her with a paw.

Spark's eyes shot open and she sat up, looking around the room before falling back on her back.

"Awh, come on!" She waved a paw at the ceiling. "Have I missed breakfast?"

"Yes." Harlequin had moved over to the door and was looking at the sky. "It's noon."

Spark sat bolt upright again. "What?! No way!"

"Hnn?" Faith sat up, rubbing her eyes. "What's going on?"

"We've overslept." Cleo stood up and joined Harlequin by the door. "We need to report to Tinker and see about heading on our way."

"Oh yeh." Spark stretched and stepped outside. "We need to find that fire Pokemon." She looked back at Cleo. "Hey, do you think it's Meredith? He's a fire type, right?"  
"I don't know." Cleo scratched her head. "How would we find out?"

"He's also a psychic type." Faith appeared behind Cleo. "I don't know... fire and psychic fighting the Wildfires? It just feels wrong. I don't think it's him."

Spark crinkled her nose in thought and looked back at Faith. "Then how would we know?"  
Faith shrugged. "I'm thinking partly rationally here, but I think we should just keep looking. I mean, he's part psychic which leaves him at a disadvantage, and also he didn't recognise the fairy type."

Spark put her paws on her hips. "Few Pokemon know what the fairy type is."

"Yes, a few." Faith closed her eyes and smiled. "Some of them out there will know."

Cleo moved out of the shack towards Spark. "If we move on now, then I've no idea where we're going to need to go." She looked back at Faith. "Any suggestions?"

Faith shrugged. "We'll need to think it over."

Cleo nodded, and her ears twitched. The sound of voices reached the group, but they weren't panicked or afraid.

"Is someone... celebrating?" Spark asked.

Cleo raised an eyebrow. "It sounds like it."

"I wanna go check it out." Spark waddled away from them to the alley.

Mischief joined Cleo's side and stretched. "That was a good nap. Shall we follow Spark?" He let his arms fall to his side and the back of his paw brushed against hers.

Cleo felt a small jolt through her body and glanced up at him. She snatched her attention back to the retreating Dedenne and cleared her throat.

"Yes. Yes, I think that's the best idea." She moved away with him to follow Spark. "Plus, I'm hungry."

Mischief glanced up a the sky then followed Cleo. "Since when did it become noon?"

The group of Pokemon moved single-file through the alley and out onto the main road. The voices were louder here, and a large crowd was gathered around the Guild Headquarters. Meredith could be made out between what few gaps there were.

Cleo spotted a Minccino and Trubbish standing back from the crowd, and the Minccino's ears twitched eagerly as he strained to pick out what Meredith was saying.

"What's going on?" she asked the little Pokemon.

The Minccino looked up at her and grinned. "The river's clean!"  
"What?" Spark asked. "Already?"

"Yup! It's now safe to drink!"

"It was relatively safe before hand," the Trubbish added. "You just needed to be cautious." He closed his eyes and crossed his arms. "That's what my grandpa said anyway."

"Ah!" Faith chuckled. "You're Mulch's grandson!"

"That he is!"

A long pipe flopped over Faith's shoulders as Mulch appeared behind them and she let out a startled squeal. Her friends were equally startled and Cleo leapt back a step, turning to face the Garbodor.

"This is Fussy and his pal Dusty." He nodded to the Trubbish and Minccino in turn. "They keep the village clean."

"Aye!" Dusty saluted and flicked his long tail. "We should probably get back to work!"

The Trubbish grinned. "Maybe we'll see you at the party?"  
"Party?" Cleo raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

Mulch laughed. "To celebrate the river being clean!"

"Not just that!" Fussy turned to his grandpa. "The sick Pokemon are well again. The medical ward is practically empty now."  
"Yes it is." Meredith cut through the crowd of Pokemon and stood next to Cleo. He looked down at Harlequin then turned to the two youngsters. "You two are needed by the Guild."

Dusty saluted again. "Sure thing! Let's go, Fussy!"

The little Minccino and his friend took off through the now thinning crowd.

Meredith looked back down at Harlequin. "That antidote you gave us... it worked wonders. Thank you."

Harlequin's blue eyes widened in astonishment.

Cleo looked up at the Delphox and observed his face. She couldn't tell how exactly he felt about that. There was a little disappointment in his eyes, but that could have been aimed at himself rather than at Harlequin. A small smile played at the side of his mouth and he turned away from the Zorua to address them as a group.

"You have really helped us here. As such, I want to personally invite you –," he paused to look at Harlequin again, "all of you – to the celebrations this afternoon. It will go on into sunset, then tomorrow I will gladly give you all the supplies you need to continue on your journey." He smiled. "I honestly can't thank you enough."

Cleo glanced at her paws briefly. She really wanted to move on now, but turning down his offer may come across as rude.

"A party?" Spark quipped from her shoulder. "I, personally, would be delighted to, but... we do have plans..."

Cleo felt herself smile. Spark certainly could think on her feet. She looked at her other friends and noticed Faith's huge grin.

"I think a party would be a great idea! Think of all the new Pokemon we'd meet!" The Mawile clapped her paws together. "Oh what fun! When does it start?"

Meredith smiled. "In a couple of hours. If you keep going past the Guild and turn left, there's a square. It will be held there." He turned and gave them a small wave as he walked away.

"A party?" Mischief scratched his fluffy head. "I've never been to one. What are they like?"

Faith closed her eyes in a dreamy smile. "Music, dancing, food and festivities! And lots and lots of Pokemon to meet!"  
"Are we sure it's not wasting time?" Cleo asked.

"Think of it this way," said Spark. "What if that fire Pokemon is in this town and we miss him? This is a grand opportunity to scope out who else is living here."  
"Exactly," said Faith. "And some Pokemon here might be looking for the Fairy Garden and not even know it!"  
Harlequin made a small grunt that sounded like agreement. Cleo looked down at her and caught her eye. Harlequin glanced away and sat down heavily.

"He thanked me..."

"Huh?" Faith inclined her head on one side and fixed her violet eyes on the Zorua.

"He thanked me," Harlequin said again. "I've never been thanked for anything."

"Oh really?" Faith placed a paw on her shoulder and smiled. "How does it feel? Good?"

Harlequin gave her an awkward sideways glance. "Yeah..."  
Faith grinned. "That's great!"

"And if you're going to be helping other Pokemon," Cleo began, "then you've got many more 'thank yous' waiting for you."

Faith nodded eagerly.

Harlequin gave a half-smile and shuffled her front feet as she looked away from them. "I'm not sure how else I can help."

Spark poked her head out of Cleo's fur. "You'll find your niche."  
Mischief shifted his weight on his feet and clasped his paws behind his back. He gave Harlequin a small smile.

"I don't really know how I can help either," he said. "So you're not alone."

"You don't know how you can help?" Harlequin snorted. "You took down a dragon, you even knocked out Reshiram! You're _strong_! You can defend your friends!"

Mischief looked down at his feet, his expression turning sombre. "Well, it comes at a price."

Harlequin sighed and stood up. "At least you _have_ strength."

"Erm..." Spark raised a claw in an attempt to get everyone's attention. "We're kind of... dragging down an awesome mood here. I say we take a walk, find some food, then head over to the square."

Cleo looked at her out of the corner of her eye. "By 'take a walk' do you mean 'walk five steps to the Guild'?"  
"Yes."

"I thought so."

...

The square was bustling with various Pokemon, a majority of which were normal types – amongst them were Dusty and his parents, three little Skitty chasing each other, a Teddiursa, a Loudred and Exploud, a family of Ratatta and Raticate, and a lone Glameow sat aside grooming her fur. There were a scattering of other Pokemon types including Meredith, Mulch and Fussy, but none of them were fire Pokemon.

Cleo found it odd that the Guild would comprise of mainly normal types, but it could also be that a lot of the Guild were either sent to do missions or stationed as sentries around the village. The Meinshao pair were standing by a table full of food while keeping a watchful eye for trouble, but it wasn't unreasonable to think that others were hidden throughout the streets.

The Loudred and Exploud were standing on a stage playing music. The Glameow, finished with her grooming session, clambered up beside them to sing. The music provided a steady beat that many Pokemon found themselves dancing to.

Spark sat on the table, munching away at a slice of berry toast.

"It doesn't hold a candle to the festivities in the Fairy Garden," she said, "but it's certainly a welcome change to marching through fields and forests worrying about being attacked."

Cleo stifled a laugh. "That's a rather blunt way of putting it, but I have to agree."

"Cleo!"

She looked up to find Tinker running to her with Sandpaw and Scout in tow.

"There you are!" He came to a stop and leant against the table. "I've been looking for you in this chaos!"

"What do you want?" she asked him.

"A dance, probably." Spark stuffed the rest of the toast in her mouth.

"Actually," Tinker scratched his ear and looked away from Cleo, "I wanted to tell you that your new friends here have given me quite the tale."

Cleo looked at Sandpaw and Scout. The Furret seemed more relaxed around them now, but the bustling Pokemon in the square seemed to be causing her some level of anxiety. Scout, on the other hand, had hopped onto the table next to Spark to grab himself some toast.

"She's told me exactly what that lab was doing, and I have to say I'm surprised," Tinker went on.

"Surprised how?"

The Riolu sighed and fiddled with his everstone. "The lab there was filled with former Heretics. Their plan, albeit somewhat dangerous and convoluted, was to destroy Hydreigon and the Shadow Lands."

"What?!" Cleo and Spark both gasped.

Harlequin, who had been curled up under the table, stood up so quickly she hit her head, causing the plates to clatter and several berries to roll to the floor.

"I believe I performed a somewhat similar reaction myself." Tinker chuckled.

Mischief's ears had pricked up at this and he placed his plate back on the table, his focus now on the Riolu.

"However, I can explain more before you leave tomorrow," said Tinker. "I don't want to cause a fuss at this party. I just wanted to let you know what my decision was."

"What decision?" asked Cleo.

"Their tale checks out," Tinker explained. "As such, I shall be taking them back with me."

"What?" Cleo raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes." Tinker rubbed the back of his paw and stared out at the dancing Pokemon. "I think it's for the best. It's safer there, and having Scout around would give Starshine an extra friend to play with."

Cleo shrugged and absently picked up a strip of dry fish to nibble on. Tinker wasn't foolish. He wouldn't take a strange Pokemon back to New City if he thought they'd pose any threat. He'd had reasons for the Swablu hatchling. If he thought Sandpaw was safe, she wasn't going to question it.

Mischief edged closer to Tinker. "I want to know more. Did she say why they -"

Tinker raised a paw to silence him. "I'll explain more tomorrow. You focus on enjoying yourself."

Mischief took a step back and glanced at the crowd of dancers. His eyes flitted back and forth and Cleo felt him take her paw. She looked up at him and he fixed her with his orange eyes then looked back at the crowd. She felt her face flush as she realised what he was about to ask her. With his free paw, he pointed and was about to say something until Tinker's voice cut him off.

"Since Spark did mention it..." Tinker rubbed the back of his head, staring down at his feet. "Would you like to -" he looked up at Cleo and, seeing Mischief, snatched his gaze away and waved a paw. "Oh. Never mind... I'll just... Sandpaw!" He pushed himself from the table and ventured over to the Furret. "Would you care to dance?"

"I'm not sure!" Sandpaw blushed violently and covered the lower half of her face with her paw. "I appreciate the offer, but I don't want to leave Scout."

"That's okay!" Spark exclaimed from the ground as she gathered up the fallen berries with the little Sentret. "You four go and dance! I'll keep an eye on him."

Spark gave Cleo a wink, causing her face to flush even more.

"I... don't really know what I'm doing." Mischief's voice drew her attention back to him. "So I'm just going to copy everyone else. Is that okay?"  
"That's fine." Cleo glanced away from him, concerned that the white fur on her face wasn't enough to hide her sudden bashfulness. "I don't know what I'm doing either."

Mischief moved to lead her into the crowd and Cleo felt a slight tug at her bracelet.

"You are aware," said Harlequin, "that wherever you go, I have no choice but to follow you?"  
"Ah." Cleo faltered and looked back at the Zorua.

"That's fine!" Mischief gave Cleo a small smile. "We can dance near the table."  
"Oh goody!" Harlequin rolled her eyes. "I'll just stay under it then."

...

Faith smiled as she watched the two pairs go off in separate directions to dance. That just left her at the table with a hungry Spark and an anxious Harlequin. The latter had retreated under the table, trying to avoid the eyes of the other Pokemon. News had spread that Harlequin had given them the antidote to the contaminated water, and some bolder Pokemon had come forth to thank her and talk to her about it. It had proven too much, and she'd resigned to hiding out of the way.

Faith didn't want to draw any more attention to Harlequin so she decided rather than disturb her that she'd go and introduce herself to some new Pokemon. She moved away from the table and was stopped by a sharp, curious voice;

"Where are you goin'?"

She looked back at Spark, now sat back on the table next to Scout with a large oran berry in her paws.

"Not far. I'll be back later!"

Faith's wave was returned with a grin before Spark tucked back into her berry, and she turned and left the table.

She wound through dancing couples and nattering groups, searching for an opening where she might be able to politely interrupt and join in. She was normally very confident but even in this situation there seemed to be quite a tight clique between the groups of Pokemon that made it hard to cut in. She'd reached the other side of the square and looked back at the crowd. She'd not seen everybody yet, so she decided to move around the outskirts before zigzagging back through.

The band's song changed to one that was more fast-paced and the crowd of Pokemon erupted into cheers, the males grabbing their female partners and swinging them into a spinning dance. Squeals of laughter spread throughout the square and Faith couldn't help but smile at the happy, dancing Pokemon.

As she passed the opening to one of the alleys, something moved and caught her eye. She paused to look down it and sure enough, moving in the shadows was a Pokemon not much bigger than her.

She narrowed her eyes. She was fairly certain who it was, and she was adamant he'd be causing no trouble at this party.

She strode towards the alley and, like a dart, the Pokemon lurched out of the shadows and grabbed her arm. He pulled her into his chest, her face buried in the rough fabric of his chosen garment. A light, spicey smell, not dissimilar to that of occa berries, filled her nostrils. Before she could push herself away, he removed one paw from her back and secured his claws around her right paw. Her breath was snatched away from her as he spun her in circles down the alley, away from the square, the faint tinkle of a hidden bell resounding in rhythm between the stone walls of the empty buildings.

"Wait... where are you taking me?" she gasped.

"Hmm?" Enigma's red eyes widened in amusement. "Is it wrong of me to steal a dance?"

"When it involves _actually_ stealing me, yes!"  
He closed his eyes and laughed. "You're not exactly putting up a fight."

Faith frowned, aware he was dancing her further and further away from the square. "What do you _really_ want with me?"

He let out a small chuckle as he secured his paw on her lower back and span her with a jerk into another narrow alley, avoiding the main road through the village.

"I don't really want anything," he said. "I saw you moseying around the square looking for a partner. You seemed lonely, so I thought I'd offer a dance."

He paused and spun her away from him, keeping a tight grip on her paw. She came to a stop as she reached the end of his arm, his grasp stopping her from falling backwards, and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Lonely? I think _you're_ the one who's lonely."

He grinned and pulled her back into him, her nose merely millimetres from his. "Oh no, no. I'm just bored."

"I don't think you're merely just looking for a dance." Faith's voice was interspersed with small gasps as she tried to keep up with his energetic footwork as he skipped and span her through the narrow streets. "For one thing, you're taking us away from the square."

"I think I'd draw attention to myself if I danced with you in the square."

"And you're not worried about drawing attention to yourself in the streets?"

He pulled her close to him and his voice was barely a whisper in her ear. "I came through the streets. I know how to avoid the sentries."

Faith's violet eyes widened and her grip tightened in the fabric of his scarf. "I don't want to think badly of you, Enigma, but are you planning on killing someone here?" Her voice was also barely a whisper and her ears strained for any sign of nearby sentries.

Enigma chuckled and span her a few times as they progressed through the alley, now forming a street that led up a slope.

"My interests lie merely in that Furret that joined you."  
"Sandpaw?" Faith raised an eyebrow. "Then why didn't you target her instead of me?"  
"Well, the last time we had an encounter, she screamed blue murder and the next thing I know I'm locked in a cage."

He span her sharply away from him before she could respond, then leapt past her and spun her ahead of him. The effort of keeping her feet steady as she was vigorously danced uphill made it difficult to speak as she tried to catch her breath. After several more sudden twists, he caught her in his arms again and waltzed her further through the street.

The noise from the party faded into the background, no longer drowning out his bell. Thick shadows spread between the buildings as the sun began to set, and a few stray stars now dotted the sky.

Enigma's movements had slowed now, enough for Faith to catch her breath and speak.

"So why do you want Sandpaw?"

"I don't want _her_," Enigma said bluntly. "I want information."

Faith looked up at him, her violet eyes locked onto his red ones.

"She came from that lab," he explained. "I want to know exactly what they were up to."  
He finally came to a halt and released her. The street he'd stopped on was quiet and the gaps between the buildings offered a clear view of the square. The lack of light here would make it hard for the Pokemon in the square to see them. Faith wondered if this is where he'd waited before moving through the village to catch her.

"We've not been told everything yet," she told him.

"But you've been told _something_?" His eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms as he leant back against the stone wall of an item shop.

"It wouldn't be my place to tell you," she said.

"But it would be in your best interest." The warning tone in his voice was meant to intimidate her, but she just met his words with a stern glare.

"I'm not going to give vital information to an enemy."

Enigma smirked. "What makes you think I'm your enemy?"  
Faith raised an eyebrow at him. "You work for Hydreigon for one thing."  
He closed his eyes and snorted out a laugh. The lack of retort or sarcastic comment that followed caused Faith to question the Banette's motives.

She edged slightly closer to him and quickly glanced up and down the street. Still no guards nearby.

"You were locked in that lab," she said quietly. "What did they want with you?"

He fixed his red eyes on hers and folded his paws behind his head. "You know something, don't you?"  
Faith returned his stare, maintaining a calm expression. "I think you do as well. You were in that lab. You probably overheard things."  
"Oh, I overheard things. I also _read_ some things." He shrugged. "I think you already know those Heretics were planning to invade the Shadow Lands?"

"I don't know their methods. But that's what I heard."

Enigma chuckled and gave her a grin. "You really know nothing else?"  
Faith shook her head.

"Pity." He sighed and stared down at the square, then chuckled again. "I bet that Furret does."  
"Leave her alone."

Her voice had come out so calm and matter-of-fact that Enigma's eyes snapped to her. She stared at the spot the corner of the shop met the ground, feeling his intense stare on the side of her head. Neither of them spoke for a while, the music and cheerful voices from the square in the distance the only sounds around them.

As the silence dragged on, she became aware he wasn't looking at her any more. She glanced up at him and followed his gaze to the square. She could just make out her group of friends by the table. Harlequin was no longer hiding away, instead talking with a Pokemon she assumed was Scout. She looked back at Enigma again and clasped her paws behind her back.

"You miss her, don't you?"  
"Huh?" He looked down at her. "Who?"  
"Harlequin."

Enigma grunted and waved a paw in dismissal. "Oh. _Him_?"

Faith raised an eyebrow. "Him? You think-"

He waved a paw again. "Don't even start. I've heard it all before." He moved away from her and stopped a few paces away, staring down into the square. "Only male Pokemon become assassins. That rule came into place while I was there."

"Oh." She joined his side and watched the group of Pokemon as they laughed together. "I'm going to hazard a guess here, but I'm assuming Harlequin is the reason you stay there?"  
He snorted. "What makes you think that?"  
"You're lonely."  
He let out a single laugh and closed his eyes. "That again? Seriously, Faith, what makes you think I'm lonely?"  
"You follow us around."

"I'm doing my job."

"You've had three chances to kill me and yet you haven't."

"In all honesty, the first time is because you hit me."

She looked up at him. "What about the second and third times?"

He cast his eyes to the sky in thought. "The second time you'd rescued me. Killing you would have been rather impolite really. As for now," he shrugged, "I want information."

She laughed and looked back down at the square. "You want company."

He grit his teeth and sighed. "I could push you back down this slope."  
She laughed again. "It's not that steep." She glanced back up at him. "You've been alone a lot of your life, haven't you?"

"Why are you questioning me?"

"You asked me why I think you're lonely. I'm answering." When he didn't respond, she went on. "I mean, you're the only ghost in the Shadow Lands, as far as I'm aware. The Shadow Mountains were wiped clean. You're probably the last of your species, staying there merely for the sake of survival."  
He flinched and looked away from her.

"Or because you made a friend. You have someone you care about." Faith nodded at the square. "You're seeing how much fun Harlequin is having, and how much she's changed now she's turned away from the Darkness. She might not see it yet, but she's making friends. She's even helped save some Pokemon. You miss her because she's your friend, right?"  
"I don't have any friends."

"Harlequin sees you as a friend." She gave him a smile. "And right now, so do I."

He laughed. "Then you're foolish."  
"I don't mean to dig up painful memories, Enigma. But while I was prying, you didn't so much as raise a claw to me." She inclined her head on one side. "Tell me, Enigma. Who's side are you on?"

He looked down at her, his eyes cold. "No ones."  
"That means you've left the Darkness?"

He said nothing and looked back down at the square.

Faith smiled. "Anyone fighting against it is on the same side."

He remained silent. Faith turned from him and started on the path back down into the centre of the village.

"I'm no hero."  
She looked back at him. He was looking at the sky with his paws behind his back.

"I can't take another Pokemon with me when I warp. I can reach into another Pokemon's body, but what good does that do? Yes, I can move through walls, but I can't take another Pokemon through them with me. I can turn myself invisible. I can sneak attack through the ground. How does that benefit others?" He shrugged. "My skills only allow me to destroy. It's all I know."

She stared at him for a moment. The amount of pain behind his eyes caused her heart to break. This Pokemon had seen a lot of death and destruction, and he'd caused a majority of it. It was no wonder he thought so little of himself. She took a steadying breath and unclenched her fists.

"You're wrong."

He closed his eyes and Faith could see his shoulders rise and fall as he sighed.

"If you think you're only capable of destroying things, then prove to yourself otherwise."

"You think I haven't tried?"

"You don't _need_ to be able to take someone with you when you warp," Faith told him. "And moving through buildings could really help someone. Don't focus on picking someone up and carrying them with you, use your strengths to your advantage and help others."

He moved his paws in front of his chest and clasped them together, looking away from the Mawile. Again, he was silent.

Faith watched him for a moment, then glanced back down at the square. She'd been looking for Pokemon to talk to. Looking amongst those who were laughing and enjoying themselves, and here was this assassin lurking in the shadows hiding so much pain inside him behind a mask of sadistic laughter.

And not once had he told her to go away.

Faith clasped her paws behind her back again and smiled at him.

"Xerneas needs more warriors," she said. "I think you'd be a pretty strong one."  
His red eyes snapped to hers with a look of alarm and she broadened her smile.

She gave him a small wave and moved down the path into the village. "Stay safe."

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	40. A Murder of Murkrow

**A/N - I don't really have much to say today. I know. It's odd.**

**Interesting Fact - I knew I wanted to write this chapter, and the one before it was originally called 'A Murder of Murkrow' but the story kept unfolding before the dance started, meaning I had to change the name of the chapter and wait until it naturally fell into place. So here it is.**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

40 – A Murder of Murkrow

Mischief had been observing the other dancing Pokemon as he attempted to join in with Cleo. They hadn't been able to move too far away from the table, but this didn't stop either of them. He took both of Cleo's paws and skipped her back and forth with what she felt was significantly more grace than she possessed, although this could be due to his light-footed gait.

As the music sped up, he released one of her paws and raised the other to swing her under and then back again. She felt her eyes widen briefly with surprise and he laughed at her before pulling her back into him. The warmth of his body melted through her fur and she tore her eyes off his to stare absently at the other dancers behind him.

"I don't think I've ever seen you smile like this," he told her.

"Hey, I can be happy."

"Yes, but you seem more relaxed." He gave her a smile and placed a paw on her back to spin them both in a small circle. "I like it."  
Relaxed? She glanced away from him, her left paw clutching the fur on his shoulder. The atmosphere of the party had certainly cleared her mind and she'd got lost in the merriment of it all. She hadn't realised she'd been feeling more at ease, but he'd picked up on it. She laughed and let him swing them both around again as the music picked up its tempo.

She'd lost count of how often the music had changed, but they must have been dancing for quite a while. They swapped places as Mischief led her under his arm and Cleo spotted Faith returning to the table, a joyous smile on her face. Cleo felt her own smile grow at the sight of the Mawile, always so cheerful and laid back with nary a harsh word to say to anyone.

Maybe she could try to be a little more like that herself.

Mischief pulled Cleo back into himself, placing a paw on her back to steady her. He gave her a smile and Cleo felt her face flush again.

"I'm getting pretty tired," he said. "Shall we go back to the table for a snack?"  
Cleo laughed and gave a small nod.

He released her and they headed back to the table. Harlequin had climbed out from beneath it to talk to Faith. Scout was jumping around amongst the plates with a berry stem in his paws, trying to avoid harmless streams of static from Spark. Cleo guessed he must have been hit by one because the fur on his long tail spiked out at dramatic angles.

Faith gave Cleo a massive grin. "You two look like you were having fun!"

"Oh, we were." Mischief squeezed Cleo's paw lightly then made a beeline for what was left of the berries.

Faith continued to smile at Cleo, and Harlequin stared at her with a crinkled nose. Cleo found herself trying to hide her face behind her neck fur to no avail.

Faith let out a tinkle of laughter. "Oh, Cleo. That was too cute!"  
Cleo felt herself blush even more. "What? It was just a dance."

Faith covered her mouth and laughed, and Harlequin let out a snort.

"I don't understand why you bother with this nonsense," the Zorua mumbled.

"Really?" Faith asked her. "Have you never had a mate?"

"Nope." Harlequin stood and turned away from them to grab some food off the table. "Don't want one either."  
Faith chuckled and clasped her paws behind her back, leaning in to Harlequin. "I don't believe that for a minute."  
Harlequin looked at her, a piece of dried fish hanging from her mouth. She said nothing, instead her blue eyes narrowing into slits.

A movement on the table distracted them and Scout stopped before Harlequin, poking at her nose with the berry stem.

"A warrior needs to be valiant! You should be protecting that Mawile!" He leapt from foot to foot and pointed the stem at Faith. "Don't worry, pretty lady! Your knight is here!"

A flurry of static struck him and all his fur stood on end. He dropped the berry stem to look down at himself, his large eyes wide with amazement.

Harlequin laughed so hard she had to dig her claws into the table to avoid falling over. "You look like a colbur berry!"

The rest of the Pokemon burst out laughing and Cleo had to press her paws into her stomach. The little Sentret did look ridiculous.

Scout joined in with their laughter, doubling over onto all fours before he lost his balance.

"Oh boy!" said Spark between giggles. "I'm sorry about that, Scout!"

"What happened?!" Sandpaw ran over, her mouth turned up into an amused smile. "Oh, Scout. You do get into some fun, don't you?" She smoothed out his fur and looked down at the other Pokemon.

Cleo's ears twitched and she looked back at the dancing Pokemon. Everything had been brought to a halt as a deep, siren-like horn blared out across the square.

The sentries from the streets began to flock amongst them, shouting commands that were drowned out by panicked cries.

"What's going on?" Sandpaw asked.

"That!" Spark pointed at the darkening sky.

A thick, black, flapping mass descended on the square, loud caws cutting through the air and scattering the Pokemon into the streets. The formerly friendly Pokemon scrambled over each other, throwing others behind them as they tried desperately to flee from the flock of Murkrow.

Cleo watched the flock of black birds in horror as she tried to rack her mind for some way to fend them off, then she remembered the attacks Xerneas had taught them. The moves they'd learned that would help them to fend off dark and dragon types.

She unfurled her ears as several of the Murkrow flew at them, letting out a yell followed by the pink and purple flash, knocking three of the birds out of the sky and sending the rest of them fluttering backwards with cries of alarm.

There was a flash next to her, followed by Faith in her mega form. She swung her dual horns at the remaining Murkrow, sending them rolling backwards into the ground where they were trampled by frightened Pokemon.

Everything happened so quickly but it seemed to go in slow motion.

Spark's electricity flashed across the square, engulfing a small portion of the flock, and the paralysed Murkrow fell to the ground while others flapped about as small sparks of electricity danced across their feathers.

The numbers were vast, too many for them to handle. Cleo kept striking out with the disarming voice, but the Murkrow grew wise to this and overwhelmed her with their numbers. Violent beaks struck her body, followed by a surge of electricity as Spark tried to remove them. The Murkrow fell away, but Cleo's body jerked uncomfortably as the electricity left her body.

She moved stiffly across the square, taking down more of the Murkrow to join those that had been taken out by Spark and Faith.

She could see Mischief cowering under the table with Harlequin and her eyes widened. He wasn't helping?

She opened her mouth to call out to him but all that came out was a pained yell, and her eyes unfocused as something collided with the back of her head. An explosion of cawing filled her ears and she saw a Murkrow drop to the ground in front of her, its body broken before it hit the stones.

A flash of lightning lit up the square, bolts flying around in an erratic pattern. Cleo and Faith leapt aside to try and avoid the spectacle, and Cleo turned just in time to see Spark rolling head over tail towards the table. Two Murkrow flew at her, their wicked talons spread as they aimed for her.

"Spark!"

Scout shot across the square to the fallen Dedenne and waved his paws at the Murkrow. He shouted something, but Cleo couldn't make it out over the din of flapping wings and tormenting caws. Their claws aimed for his head, but they were knocked backwards as Harlequin darted from beneath the table. She stood protectively over the Sentret, her canines bared at the Murkrow as they turned their eyes on her.

The two Murkrow rose back into the air to swoop at her, joined by one of their kin. One by one they dropped as a shadow ball struck each of them square on.

Spark rose to her feet as another Murkrow flew at her. It fell to the ground, struck by another shadow ball.

Cleo looked around at the square, but all she could see were fighting Guild members and flapping wings. Another disarming voice cleared some of her field of vision, but not enough to see through the crowd.

Faith ducked, swinging her horns over her head to strike at the overwhelming numbers above them. She took down four Murkrow and another one dropped to a shadow ball.

A stream of fire cut through the rest and a warm body backed into Cleo. She looked over her shoulder to find Meredith standing behind her, a flaming branch clutched in one paw.

Could he have fired those shadow balls?

"Thank you," she gasped out.

"Any time."

He aimed his burning branch and sent another flamethrower into the air, bringing down a number of flaming Murkrow.

Cleo turned to fire three more disarming voices to clear the Murkrow that swarmed her from overhead. They left a clear view of Spark standing beside Harlequin as the Zorua blocked the Sentret from the Murkrow's nasty claws. Spark was taking down any that dared to get too close.

The numbers had thinned significantly and the Murkrow now found themselves at a disadvantage. The remaining Guild warriors were more than enough to deal with the rest of the flock.

With a string of frantic caws, the Murkrow retreated back into the sky, leaving behind their wounded and fallen brethren. The sky cleared, their caws fading into the distance.

Cleo stood gasping for breath as she looked around at the destruction left in the square. Various wounded Pokemon lay on the stone floor, surrounded by feathers and fallen Murkrow. Some of the Outcasts were still breathing, but several had been killed in the battle. Cleo felt her heart break at the sight and she fell onto her bottom on the floor.

"Scout!"

Sandpaw raced across the square towards Harlequin.

"Scout!"  
Harlequin stepped aside and the Furret scooped up her son, checking him for signs of injury.

"I'm okay, mum," he said. "Harlequin and Spark didn't let them get to me."  
She looked up at the scratched and beaten Zorua and Dedenne. Her eyes welled with tears and she pulled them both into a crushing hug.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

The Furret sobbed, her head resting on the back of Harlequin's neck.

Cleo felt a paw on her shoulder and she looked up at Meredith. The Delphox still had his eyes on the sky.

"This isn't the first attack on this village," he told her. "But it's definitely the worst."

He helped her to her feet and moved away from her, shouting commands at the remaining Guild warriors. It looked like the nurses were arriving as the sentries and warriors gathered up the fallen Pokemon onto stretchers.

"Cleo?"

She looked round to see Mischief slowly moving towards her.

"Are you -"

"Why didn't you help us?" she asked.

His face fell and he lowered his paw. "I..."  
"We needed you." She closed her eyes and turned away from him.

She didn't say anything else. She moved away across the square, stepping over the fallen Murkrow.

...

Enigma moved through the streets, keeping himself invisible perchance any Pokemon should pass him. He looked back over his shoulder at the narrow street that led to the square.

Those Murkrow had seemed to come from nowhere, swooping down to attack any Pokemon they laid their eyes on. All he'd been able to do was watch.

It was when they went for Harlequin he decided he couldn't just watch helplessly any more. He breached his own safety to fire those shadow balls, and each one had knocked out the Murkrow it hit.

He stared down at his claws. Was that the Pokerus taking effect, or were those Murkrow just frail little Pokemon?

He shook his head and pressed on, letting his paws fall to his sides.

He'd only stopped picking them off when he heard someone move behind him. They'd not seen him. It had been a sentry making their way to the square to help. He'd made himself invisible and stepped out of the way.

That was all he could do, but he'd helped.

He'd used his strengths to help those Pokemon, striking unseen from the shadows.

He'd never helped anyone before. It was a strange feeling.

Enigma closed his eyes and chuckled, running a paw over his head. Maybe that Mawile was right. Maybe he could help others.

He just had to work out how.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	41. Bad News

**A/N - Sorry if there are any typos in this chapter. I did proof read it, but I'm not in best form today and think I need a bit of a computer break. Kinda strained my eyes a bit with writing and working through games for my blog (MadBritGamer on Tumblr if anyone wants to have a nosey) I was going to upload this tomorrow instead, but I didn't want to be late!**

**Interesting fact - I really enjoy writing descriptive dialogue. It's fun to put internal monologues into them, not as speech, but as part of the descriptions so you can tell what the character is thinking. This sometimes leads to large blocks of text with no speech. **

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

41 – Bad News

Cleo lay on the hay in the little hut behind the Guild, Harlequin only a mere foot away from her. She'd barely noticed the Zorua follow her back, as she'd not even protested.

Silence filled the little hut as Cleo ran the events over in her mind. The massacre that had fallen on the square had cost lives, and as much as they'd fought to protect the Pokemon there, she couldn't help but feel it was their fault in the first place.

Those Murkrow were probably looking for them. They had a price on their heads. All those Pokemon had been attacked _because of them_.

After they'd helped Meredith and the others check over the wounded and deliver berries from the store to the ward, Cleo had excused herself as she was feeling exhausted and retreated back to the hut. Faith had wanted to stay in the ward to help, and as for Mischief, he wanted to make up for 'being useless', as he'd put it.

Useless...

Cleo flinched.

She'd been really cold towards him, but she knew his reasons. If he'd helped, he might have snapped, and then there'd be even more casualties than there already were.

A loud yawn caused Cleo to open her eyes and she looked at the door. Spark stretched and strolled into the hut, followed by Faith and Mischief.

"Wow, am I tired now!" Spark flopped down on the hay next to Cleo. "It must be well past midnight, right?"

Faith gave a light chuckle and sat down on the other pile of hay. "Are you feeling better now, Cleo?"

Cleo shrugged. "A little."

"That's good then!" Faith beamed. "I think I should stay up and keep an eye open. You know, in case they come back."  
"I'll do it."

Cleo looked from Faith to Mischief. He was still standing in the doorway, avoiding her eyes.

"Nonsense!" Faith stood up and ushered him into the hut. "You've done a lot. You need your rest."

Mischief gave a snort. "You've done more."  
"Well, I offered first." Faith put a paw on his shoulder and fixed her violet eyes on his. "Seriously. Get some rest."

Mischief stared at her for a moment, then looked away and nodded. He stepped back from her and let her slip out of the door. With a quick glance at the Mawile, he took her spot on the hay and fell back with a hefty sigh.

Cleo craned her head to look at him. "Mischief?"  
He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

"I'm sorry," she said. "For getting upset, I mean."

"You had reason to be upset," he said flatly.

"No I didn't. I know you didn't want to risk hurting anyone. I should have appreciated that."

He stared at the ceiling in silence for a while before replying. "I need you to understand me, Cleo."  
Cleo sighed and closed her eyes. "I thought I was."

"You're right that I don't want to hurt anyone. But I don't want to watch others being hurt either, and those Pokemon were everywhere."

"Well, I'm afraid being attacked happens a lot, Mischief."  
"Yeh." Spark sniffed. "This is a war."

"I'm aware of that." Mischief paused. "So the next time that happens, and you need me, I'm going to defend you."

Cleo looked at him.

"But you have to promise me something," he said.

"What?"  
"Promise me you'll run." He was staring at the ceiling but Cleo could still make out the seriousness behind his eyes. "And don't come back for me until you're sure I've fainted."  
Cleo didn't know what to say. All she could do was stare at him. Sure, she could see where he was coming from. If he were to risk having a burst of madness then it only made sense for them to run, but she wasn't sure even Mischief could handle an attack from a flock of Murkrow. He was a grass Pokemon after all, Pokerus or not. What if the tables turned and he needed their help and they weren't around to give it because they'd ran?

The thought stabbed at her heart. She closed her eyes and rolled onto her back.

"Okay," she said. "I promise."  
There was a long pause and silence filled the little hut. Cleo wasn't sure how anyone else felt about the situation, but there was one thing that definitely didn't settle well with her. She opened her eyes and stared at the wooden rafters as her mind ran over the night's events. The chaos of flapping black wings and maniacal caws.

"But I'll never abandon you," she said.

Mischief snapped his head round to look at her. "What?"

"I'll run, but I won't abandon you," she said again. "If I think you need me, I'll stay and fight."

She could feel him looking at her. She glanced at him, meeting his eyes. He said nothing, probably realising it was pointless to argue. He'd known her long enough now to know she wouldn't abandon her friends. If he was willing to risk his life for her then he should expect the same in return.

"Heh!"

They looked to the door. Faith was leaning outside, holding out her paw.

"It's raining!"  
Spark sat up and rubbed her eyes. "It is?"  
"Yes." Faith looked back at them and smiled. "I think I'd better sit inside."

The Mawile retreated backwards into the hut, perching on the edge of Mischief's bed of hay. She kept her large, violet eyes on the world outside and crossed her paws over her knees.

"The air's turned cold too," she told them. "If it gets any cooler, we might be in for some frost."  
Faith was right. The temperature had dropped.

They gathered the hay together so they could group up for warmth.

As the night progressed, the rain turned heavier and the wind picked up, blowing the rain sideways. It pelted against the wooden hut, growing in intensity until it sounded like someone was throwing tiny stones at the walls.

Despite the direction of the wind, it caught in the doorway, sending a chill over the Pokemon as they tried to sleep.

Cleo opened her eyes as she felt a paw tug at her arm. She looked back at Mischief. The Whimsicott was visibly shivering. He wrapped a paw around her middle and pulled himself closer to her. Cleo's heart did a flip and she looked away from him but before she could process what was going on, Harlequin's curled-up form caught her eye. The Zorua's blue eyes were fixed on the two Pokemon and she crawled across the hay towards them. The bracelet gave a small jolt and Harlequin stopped a mere inch away from Cleo. She turned her back on them and curled up as small as she could. A shiver racked her body as the wind blew through the door, bringing a flurry of slushy rain with it.

Mischief stood up and scrambled over Cleo, nudging the Meowstic backwards and causing a protest from Spark who was huddled in her fur. Mischief fell down between Cleo and Harlequin, and the Zorua's head jerked up in surprise. He rolled onto his back and gave Cleo a smile before closing his eyes.

Faith fell down at Cleo's other side, lying with her back against the Meowstic and keeping her eyes on the door.

Cleo felt a small smile tug at her lips and she let herself huddle into Mischief's fluffy fur, the smell of pollen filling her senses. Harlequin lowered her head onto her paws and gave a wide yawn, the shivers fading from her body.

...

Enigma sat huddled under a tree, trying to shelter from the sudden downpour. The tree's lack of leaves didn't provide sufficient cover as the water fell effortlessly through the branches and struck his body with an endless flow of ice-cold droplets.

He looked back at the village, now shrouded in the dark of night, the houses nothing more than little black silhouettes against the grassy mountainside. With little to no moonlight, even the lake looked dark; deadly should anyone be unfortunate enough to not see it as they strolled through the glen.

Enigma tore his eyes away and pulled his scarf around himself as the rain grew heavier. All he had to do was wait it out. He'd been sitting here for long enough, his fur now soaked through and each gust of wind seemed to chill him to the bone.

So this was it. The cold season had officially started, and he had nowhere to go. He didn't belong anywhere. No one would want him. He'd tarnished his reputation long ago, becoming nothing more than a ruthless killer.

Yet that Mawile had called him a friend.

Enigma chuckled and pulled his sodden scarf firmly across his torso. Foolishness. Why would _anyone_ want someone like _him_ as a friend?

Harlequin, maybe. That Zorua had always stuck by him, laughing at his jokes, and now he'd gone and left him.

Faith was right. Harlequin was the only reason he'd stayed in the Shadow Lands. A long time ago, he'd wanted to leave, to ditch the place and run, but it was too risky. Telling Harlequin that would only have caused him to risk both their lives, he knew that all too well. Yurlik's watchful eyes were everywhere in the Border Woods, keeping an eye out for new outlaws and rebel activity.

For some reason, he'd kept going back. Killing, following orders, gathering information, taking lives... It had become a way of life, a nasty habit, nothing more than a desperate bid for survival.

Fear had corrupted his mind, he could see that now.

And now Harlequin was no longer there, what reason did he have to go back?

None whatsoever.

He laughed again, leaning back against the tree.

He was free now.

Freedom... he'd been too young to remember what that felt like.

A strong gust washed over him and he shuddered, huddling further into his scarf.

He closed his eyes and tried to brace himself as the wind blew flurries of slushy ice into his face. The wind howled through the trees, an eerie cry that only seemed to emphasize the emptiness of the hills around him.

A stark contrast to the cheerful laughter he'd heard only earlier that night.

He may very well be free, but he was still alone.

The wind continued to wash over him, but the bitter cold flow of rain eased off, becoming nothing more than mere damp air. He opened his eyes and looked over his shoulder, shivering as he looked out across the dark glen at the village. When he finally stood up, his body was stiff and unwilling to co-operate. His breath came in ragged bursts and he rubbed his paws frantically over his freezing arms until the feeling came back.

Water flowed from his scarf onto his feet and he grabbed the front end, straining it out onto the grass. The entire thing was sodden. It would take ages to dry.

He was about to remove it to give it a good straining when he froze. Someone was watching him.

He looked up and standing several feet away was an Absol, his crimson eyes fixed on Enigma with a look of disgust. His white fur was plastered to his muscular frame, and water dripped from from his face and ruff. On either side of him stood a Pawniard, the both of them completely identical. Enigma looked from each Pokemon, trying to assess the situation. The Absol's eyes narrowed and the claws of his right paw dug into the earth.

Enigma knew when he wasn't wanted. He leapt up into the tree, warping a safe distance away until he was sure the Absol had lost sight of him. But Enigma still had the Absol in his vision. He stared back at the black and white Pokemon as he twisted to look up into the trees, the two Pawniard turning left and right. It didn't take them long to give up and move away into the hills.

Enigma tutted and removed his scarf, sitting back against the tree as he tried to strain it dry.

If there was one thing he knew about Absol, it was that they brought nothing with them except bad news.

He was pretty sure who that Absol was, however. He could tell by the look of loathing in his eyes. A look of loathing worn by outlaws who'd been fleeing for their lives for years as they fled from the Darkness.

He'd heard him mentioned enough times to put the pieces together. An Absol who had been believed dead.

He was Harlequin's missing 'friend', Harbinger.

...

Cleo twitched her nose as something tickled it. She wafted it away with her paw, but when it didn't relent, she rolled onto her back and swiped at it.

"Hey!"

Her eyes snapped open and were met by a rather cross Spark clutching her tail in both her tiny paws. Faith was sat behind her chuckling at the Dedenne.

"Sorry," Cleo mumbled as she sat up.

"I was trying to wake you," Spark explained. "It's morning and I don't wanna miss breakfast again." She shrugged. "I could have gone without you, but I was being polite and waiting." She paused, then added: "Impatiently."  
Cleo smiled at Spark's frustrated stare and looked down at Mischief as he stirred. Harlequin was lay with her head across his chest, fast asleep.

"Should we wake her up?" Faith asked over her shoulder.

"Yes," answered Spark.

"Hmm?" Mischief's eyes fluttered open and he looked up at his friends. "Why are you all staring at me?" His eyes moved to the sleeping Zorua and widened, his mouth opening to say something but words failed him.

Harlequin's blue eyes snapped open and fixed on his. A look of realisation crossed her face and she sat bolt upright with a yell, leaping to her feet and jumping backwards. The collar jolted, keeping her ahead of her feet and she fell face-first into the hay.

Spark burst into fits of laughter, tears streaming from her eyes. She pointed at Harlequin as she keeled over, clasping a paw to her stomach. Any words she tried to gasp out ended up interrupted by her uncontrollable laughter.

Harlequin sat up and glared at her. "It's _not_ funny!"  
"Ih-!" Spark took in a sharp breath. "It is!" She fell onto her stomach and rolled onto her back in fits of hysterical giggles.

"Oh my." Faith chuckled behind her paw. "I think we need to get Spark some food. She's going delirious with hunger."  
Harlequin's eyes snapped to Faith then she looked back at Spark. "It's not funny! It means nothing!" She glanced at Mischief and quickly looked away. "I was cold. Don't read into it."

Spark sat up and looked at her. "Oh I wasn't laughing at that! I was laughing at you falling over. But now that you mention it..." She let out a snort of laughter but recovered herself and inclined her head on one side. "Was he a comfy pillow?" She exploded into hysterical fits of giggles again.  
Harlequin's eyes widened and snapped to the Dedenne.

Cleo picked up Spark and headed for the door. "Let's get you some breakfast."  
The others followed her outside and Harlequin grumbled as she came last through the door.

"You are getting too comfortable around me."  
Spark looked back at her. "I think _you're_ the one getting comfortable."

Cleo shook her head and sighed. "If she were still clearly an assassin, I'd berate you for teasing her."

Harlequin closed her eyes and sighed. "You let your guard down once and suddenly you're going soft."  
"I think you need to lay off her now," said Faith. "Besides, it's nice to see she's happier with us."

They reached the door to the Guild and Cleo stopped, looking at the Meinshao guards. She scratched her head and looked down at Harlequin.

"Huh. We still can't take you inside."

Harlequin snorted and looked away.

Spark's jaw dropped. "Aww no! I wanted to choose my own food this time!"  
"You go on ahead," Cleo told the Dedenne. "I'll wait out here."

"Are you sure?" Spark hopped off her shoulder and looked up at her.

"Yes. Just... could you also get the supplies Meredith promised us? And send Tinker my way too?"

Spark grinned and nodded. "Sure. Mischief!" She looked up at the Whimsicott. "Can you help me carry stuff?"  
Mischief gave her a smile. "Of course I can."

He skipped after Spark. Faith took a step after him and looked back at Cleo.

"Are you sure you just want to wait out here?" she asked.

"It's rules," Cleo explained. "Just send Tinker out here with a plate, we'll be fine."  
Faith nodded her understanding and followed Mischief's vanishing form through the double doors.

Cleo turned and sat with her back against the stone wall of the Guild. Harlequin sat down next to her and snorted.

"You could have just removed your bracelet and fastened me somewhere."

Cleo looked up and down the street. Sure, she could have done that, but it meant leaving other's at risk. Or being accused of leaving other's at risk. She was beginning to strongly doubt that Harlequin posed much of a threat any more.

Other Pokemon, however, might be a little harder to convince.

"Cleo!"

She looked back at the door. Tinker and Meredith were making their way over to them. Tinker looked rather happy, but Meredith on the other hand looked a little bitter. She attuned that to the events of the previous night, which now hit her with full force. Spark's jovial jibes had alleviated those awful memories.

"As promised." Tinker paused beside her and dropped a small pouch into her paws. "Your pay for running this task."  
"Thank you." She stuffed the pouch into her bag.

"I want to thank you for your help last night," Meredith told her. "I've never seen those attacks before, or the form change your Mawile friend took on. Whatever they were, they certainly helped." He paused and looked down at Harlequin. "I do fear that those Murkrow were after you, however."  
"They were after all of us," Cleo told him. "We're planning on moving out of here as fast as we can. Then hopefully you can sleep peacefully for a while." She looked up at the Delphox. "Those who were injured – how are they now?"

"We've lost no one else. They're recovering." Meredith glanced away from her. "I do want to ask you more about those attacks you used, but if you're in a hurry -"

"Faith would be glad to explain," Cleo told him. "She knows a lot more than I do. You'll catch her in the dinner hall."

Meredith smiled at her. "I'll do that." He moved past Tinker and gave him a pat on the shoulder before slipping back into the Guild.

Tinker watched him go then looked back down at Cleo and Harlequin.

"I have some news for you, actually, Cleo."  
"Oh?" Cleo's eyes widened briefly.  
"Yes. Your new Furret friend." Tinker leant against the wall and crossed his arms. "I'm going to take her to New City."  
Cleo made an involuntary gasp. "Already? Are you sure she's safe?"

"Positive." He turned so his back was against the wall and stared at the opposite buildings. "The news she gave me was a little unsettling actually. That group of Heretics were not actually Heretics but an offshoot that had fallen out with the main group. Their use of Pokerus was to inflict this new fairy type – which they were calling Type 18 – to amass an army that could infiltrate the Shadow Lands. However, their plan wasn't very well thought out."

"What do you mean?" Cleo asked.

"Well, this Pokerus has a very nasty side effect. It can render the Pokemon affected with it completely insane."  
Cleo's mouth dropped open but no words came out. _Completely_ insane? Did that mean...?

Tinker rubbed a paw over his mouth and continued to stare at the opposite houses. A few Pokemon wandered past, casting nervous looks at Harlequin.

"I'm a little concerned about Mischief," Tinker went on. "If that means he might be susceptible to this, then your safety may be compromised."  
Cleo said nothing. Her eyes drifted to her paws and she wound them together.

Harlequin glanced at Tinker out of the corner of her eye. "There's no cure to this Pokerus, is there?"  
"No," Tinker answered. "None that we know of anyway."  
"Then we need to find one," Harlequin said flatly.

Tinker clasped his paws behind his back and looked down at the Zorua. "That might actually be in your best interest, Harlequin. Because their biggest mistake might be your biggest setback."

Harlequin looked up at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Their latest, and last, victim to be affected with Pokerus is your friend Enigma."  
Harlequin's jaw dropped and her sapphire eyes widened, filled with instant despair. "What?"  
"Yes." Tinker shrugged. "Either you find a cure, or he'll have to be destroyed."  
"You can't-!"  
"He's a threat to the Guild. He's also a threat to you. So long as you are with Cleo, that puts all of you at risk."

"And the ticking time-bomb we're stuck with isn't?" Harlequin snorted.

"That 'ticking time-bomb' is tied to the same fate," said Tinker. "If he shows any signs of worsening, then... well, we'll have to see. If there's no cure, it would be unfair to him and to the rest of you to keep him alive."  
Cleo leant forwards on her knees. It felt like someone had reached into her chest and crushed her heart. Is this what it did? Was this Pokerus nothing more than a slow death? It slowly took over the affected Pokemon until they were consumed by a permanent state of madness... an empty shell that worked as nothing more than a killing machine. And those Heretics didn't even care.

"I'm sorry, Cleo." Tinker's voice was oddly soft. He let out a sigh and kicked himself away from the wall. "I'm going to get as many Pokemon as I can on the case to find a cure. Mischief and Enigma aren't the only ones out there who are suffering from it. Unfortunately, there are countless Pokemon who escaped from that lab who are out there right now, putting thousands of lives at risk."

"What are we going to to about that?" Cleo's voice came out strained as she continued to stare down at her paws.

"We need to find them. Lock them up. Help them if we can." He paused. "I'm going to get other warriors in on this mission as well. It will take a long time, but..." He trailed off and turned back to the Guild. "Do take care, Cleo."

Tinker's footsteps resounded off the wooden steps as he retreated back into the Guild. Cleo couldn't speak. She was barely even looking at her paws any more.

"I'm sorry."

She glanced at Harlequin. The Zorua was staring blankly at the houses opposite them.

"I know you care about him. There's... got to be a cure somewhere. There's a cure for every poison."

"You think it's a poison?" Cleo asked. "It's a parasite."  
Harlequin looked at her. "Then we poison the parasite." She looked away again as Cleo's face filled with shock. "We just need to find one that won't poison the host."

"That..." Cleo stared back down at her paws dumbfounded. "That's actually genius."

Harlequin let out a single laugh. "The problem is finding it."  
"Ahh!"

They looked round at the happy squeal. Sandpaw was running down the steps towards them with Scout, Mischief and Spark.

"There you are!" Sandpaw clutched a tray in her paws, stacked with various food. "We brought you something. You must be starving!"

Spark waved at them from Mischief's shoulder. "We couldn't leave you out here on your own, so we came to join you!" She elbowed Mischief in the jaw. "It was actually his idea."

Mischief blushed and ran a paw over the back of his head. "Well... you're all alone, so..."

Cleo stared at him and a pang shot through her chest, filling her eyes with tears. It was all she could do to not throw her arms around his neck and sob into his fur.

"What's wrong?" Mischief's smile faltered and he looked down at her.

"Nothing!" Cleo forced a smile and rubbed her paw over her eyes. "Just sit down and join us."  
Mischief beamed. "All right!" He flopped to the floor beside her and grabbed a berry from the tray.

"Where's Faith?" Harlequin asked.

"She's still talking to Meredith." Spark took a bite out of a sitrus berry. "She said she'll meet us out here in a bit."  
"Harlequin?"

The Zorua looked up at Sandpaw.

"I wanted to thank you again for saving Scout last night." The Furret edged over to the Zorua and pulled a pink scarf from her bag. "I want you to have this."  
Harlequin leant forward and sniffed it. "It's woven with pecha berries?"  
"Yes. I thought it might be of use to you." Sandpaw fastened the scarf around Harlequin's neck and stood back to admire her work. "It suits you, actually."

Harlequin looked down at the scarf and stuttered. "Th... thank you." She met the Furret's eyes briefly and looked away.

Scout hopped onto her head and grinned at her. "I told mum you'd be better off with a cape, but she said that would look silly."  
Harlequin rolled her eyes and looked up at him. "I agree with your mum."  
Scout laughed. "But heroes are meant to have capes!"

Sandpaw scooped up her son and laughed, fixing all of them with fond smiles. "Tinker is taking us back with him, so this will be the last time I see you for a while. Thank you all for helping us. Who knows where we'd be right now if you hadn't?"  
Cleo shrugged. "It's nothing, really. You two take care."

Mischief waved a paw and gave her a huge smile. "If he's taking you back then we'll definitely see you again. Right?"  
Sandpaw nodded and backed away towards the stairs. "Yes. Hopefully."

Despite the feigned smile she gave them, she kept an air of joviality in her voice. She made her way back up the stairs to the Guild. Scout waved his paw with a loud cry of 'bye!'

Cleo looked away from her and stared at her half-eaten fish. Tinker must have told Sandpaw. She clearly knew, and was trying to hide it.

As the Furret opened the door, Meredith stood aside with an apology, letting her through before he descended the steps towards them with Faith and Mulch.

"I have to say, what you are telling me is fascinating!" He closed his eyes in a smile. "If I hadn't seen your form change for myself, I'm not sure I'd believe you!"  
"Oh I'm glad!" Faith clapped her paws. "I'm not saying that attack was good, but something good certainly came from it! I'm glad you got to see mega evolution in action!"  
Meredith laughed. "Well the second time wasn't a disappointment either, Faith."

"Ahh, that it wasn't!" Mulch grinned widely. "I'm glad I got to see it myself! I've never heard of it before now."

The Delphox placed a paw on Faith's shoulder. "Really, I could honestly talk to you for hours!" He looked at Cleo and the others and gave them a smile. "But from what you've told me, you're on a mission to find a fire type Pokemon. I'm just so sorry I'm not the one you're looking for."

"So are we." Cleo stood up and smiled at him. "You're a talented fighter, Meredith."

"Thank you, Cleo!" He laughed. "But seriously, I can do my best to help you. If you're looking for fire Pokemon, your best bet may be to try a desert."

"Desert?" Spark lowered her berry to look at him. "Is there one nearby?"

"Sadly no. You'll need to travel quite far, I'm afraid."  
"There were a fire island many years back," said Mulch. "I dunno what's happened to it, if it's still there with all this war going on, but you might want to try there! It were filled with ground and fire type Pokemon. Many of them migrated that way."  
Meredith scratched his head. "I've never heard of that."

"That's because you're a youngun, Meredith." Mulch nudged him playfully and guffawed. "Well, I best be getting back inside! Maybe I'll see you again, Faith!"

The Garbodor threw his long arms around Faith's shoulders and pulled her into a crushing hug. Faith laughed and returned the favour. When he let her go, he laughed again and gave them a wave before returning to the Guild.

"I'll be going too now, I'm afraid." Meredith waved a paw as he climbed up the stairs. "Be sure to gather any supplies you need, Cleo. It's the least I can do." He gave them a smile and nodded to Harlequin, then vanished through the door.

"Well." Faith clasped her paws behind her back and smiled at them. "To the desert? That's exciting!"

Cleo looked at each of her friends and sat back down beside Mischief. Tinker's words were still echoing around her head, along with Harlequin's. She wanted to explain the situation to them, but if Mischief heard it, it would crush him. She tried to hide a flinch. The last time he found out they were holding something from him he'd been devastated. But this... how would he react?

They needed to find that cure.

A poison to kill a parasite without harming the host... did such a thing even exist?

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	42. A Mistake?

**A/N - It was actually a little tough for me to move on from the end of the previous chapter. I wasn't sure how to advance from it in a way that would connect that main event to the next one several chapters from now. I hope you enjoy the ride, however =D**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its characters!**

42 – A Mistake?

"What are you looking for?"  
Sandpaw watched Tinker anxiously as he paced along a thick wall of brambles that lined the rocky outcrop, spreading along the Glen for several yards. He knew what he was looking for, but rarely having any use for it he'd quite misplaced it over the years.

"I can't divulge that information out loud," he told her under his breath.

Sandpaw flexed her paws and glanced back down the steep slope. Tinker followed her gaze briefly. The river sparkled in the sunlight as it wound away to join the lake a mile back the way they'd come.

He turned his attention back to the bushes, parting the leaves but finding nothing but rock. It should reassure him, but he was growing rather frustrated. The Murkrow attack had unsettled him, and he worried they might be lurking nearby. Being a mere fighting Pokemon, he wouldn't stand much of a chance if he were caught in an onslaught of beaks and wings.

He leapt back with a small yell as a small brown shape burst out of the bushes with a squeal of glee.

"Hey, mum! I found a cave!" Scout hopped from foot to foot and scurried back to the spot he'd come from. "Look, look!"

Tinker broke into a trot to follow the little Sentret. He vanished into the brambles and Tinker crouched down on all fours to peer in after him. There was indeed a cave. A grin spread across the Riolu's face and he crawled in after him.

"Oh, you don't need to entertain him," Sandpaw said as she watched after him. "Scout, get back here!"  
"No, it's quite all right," Tinker told her over his shoulder. "Follow me, please."  
The Furret dropped onto all fours and followed the Riolu through the narrow cave. Scout was stood about half way down, bouncing in front of a large, round stone slab.

"This! Look! It's got a drawing on it!"

Tinker stood, his ears brushing against the ceiling, and pulled his badge off his bag. He stuck it into the small sun-shaped hole and pushed a button on the back of the badge. There was a small click as a needle shot out into a hole, unseen by himself and the other two Pokemon.

"What is this?" Sandpaw asked, still crouching in the small space.

"This," Tinker began, "is an exit from New City. It isn't normally used as an entrance, and only I am able to use it as one."  
"Only you?" Sandpaw paused for a moment and glanced back the way they'd come. "But what if other Pokemon need to get inside?"  
"For safety reasons we have more exits then entrances. That way, if we need to make an escape, we know which ones are safe." He looked back at her. "I wouldn't question this too much. Besides, once you are behind this door, you won't be leaving."

"Not leaving?" Sandpaw's eyes widened. "But... I was planning on going to find the Fairy Garden Faith mentioned when Scout is old enough to travel with me."

Tinker frowned and twisted the badge, letting the slab roll away from the opening. He slipped inside and ushered Sandpaw after him.

"Once this closes, that's it. You're on your own."

Sandpaw scurried after him, pushing Scout ahead of her. The stone slab slid back into place with a low rumble, followed by a click that echoed off the dark walls.

"Cool!" Scout exclaimed.

"You need to let us leave at some point," Sandpaw told Tinker.

"Once you've proven your loyalty, you _may_ be gifted a badge," Tinker explained. "But they are only really given to Guild members."

"So you still don't trust us?"

"I never said that. I just said you need to prove your loyalty. If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't be bringing you with me at all."

He turned away from the Furret and moved on down the dark tunnel, which eventually turned into stairs leading further underground. The way was lit up by occasional torches, a sign that the tunnels were still manned by the Guild's guards. Despite the way the entrances and exits worked, you could never be too careful.

"How long does this go on?" Sandpaw asked.

"These tunnels run miles underground," Tinker explained. "They cut out a lot of the trickier routes you'll find above ground. But despite that, we still may need to camp in this tunnel."

"So it will take us a while?"

"Yes, unless you want to move on without sleeping?" He looked back at her. "But I don't think Scout would appreciate that."

"I can go without sleep!" the little Sentret exclaimed. "I'm strong!"

Sandpaw chuckled. "We'll see."

The ground levelled out and they pressed on down the dark corridor. Tinker had no idea how long they'd been moving, occasionally nattering about meaningless things, when a dark form appeared in the dim light provided by the torches.

Tinker narrowed his eyes to look at it. Their paw steps gave their presence away as it turned its large head to look at him, revealing it to be an Excadrill. The Excadrill raised one of his paws, his large claws glinting in the flickering light.

"Tinker! I'm afraid I'm going to have to stop you!"

Tinker's eyes widened and he trotted over to the large Pokemon. "Is there a problem?"

"Stop!"

Tinker came to an abrupt stop and stared at the large mole Pokemon.  
"There's a _big_ problem." The Excadrill looked up and pointed at water dripping from one of the air vents. "That rain fall last night has flowed through one of the vents in the trees. Water's been cascading down so much so that the ground here has become so soft it's caved in to the tunnel running below it."  
Tinker looked down slowly. His paws were mere centimetres away from a gaping hole. The soil crumbled and dropped into the darkness below.

"We're working on filling it in," the Excadrill explained. "But I'm not sure how we're going to fix this up to be honest. We might just need to completely fill in the tunnel below, and wait it out until the soil's settled before digging through and reopening it."

Tinker nodded slowly. "That sounds best. But... we do need to keep heading this way. Is there no way across?"

The Excadrill made a thoughtful noise and looked away from him. "I'll see if I can find some way to help you and you're friends. Wait here, and step back from this hole before it caves in even more and drags you all down with it!"  
Tinker nodded again and took a couple of steps back.

"And I'm just wanting to warn you," the Excadrill went on, "that the ceiling may be at risk of coming down too. Are you really willing to wait or do you want to retrace your footsteps back out of here and find another way in?"

Tinker looked back at Sandpaw and Scout. It was quite a risk. He sighed and ran a paw over his head.

"It will be dark before we reach the next entrance. We run too much of a risk outside being found by Murkrow."

"Oh no." Sandpaw covered her mouth and pulled Scout in to her. "What do we do?"

"We have no choice." Tinker shrugged. "We wait."

"All right then! Can't say I didn't warn you." The Excadrill gave them a wave and disappeared down the corridor.

"Oh, great." Tinker sat back against the wall and sighed. He had no idea how long they were going to be stuck in that tunnel.

...

"They just won't stop!"

Spark leapt out of the way of a Murkrow's talons and fired off another discharge into the air, bringing down a couple more of the relentless birds.

Cleo and Harlequin stood with their backs against Faith's front as they braced themselves to attack the Murkrow, flapping their wings amongst the canopy preparing to swarm them again.

The walk from the village away from the Glen had been going smoothly so far. It wasn't until they reached the small mountain wood that obscured their next destination that the Murkrow had attacked. It was as though they'd been waiting, aware of their next move, perched amongst the branches watching them.

A couple of disarming voices had taken the Murkrow by surprise, causing them to rethink their strategy and causing Cleo to question whether or not it was the same flock that had attacked the village. Faith's Mega Evolution wasn't met with much surprise, however, and Cleo's doubts were cleared away.

It was definitely the same flock.

Cleo glanced over at Mischief who was bracing himself to assist Spark if need be, but so far the overwhelming Murkrow were being dealt with by the Dedenne's electrical attacks and Cleo's lone fairy move.

A handful of Murkrow swooped from the canopy from all directions, trying to overwhelm Cleo, but they were met with another disarming voice, causing two of them to drop to the ground and another to keel back from her, dazed with the impact. The ones that came from her blind spot were bashed from the air by Faith's horns in a swift play rough that Cleo heard but couldn't see.

"They're being rather cautious," said Faith. "We might be stuck here for a while."

"Unless we go all out," said Cleo.

"We can't do that," said Harlequin. "It would mean breaking up and they could pick us off."

Cleo let out a 'hmm' at that. Harlequin was right, and since the collar was on her, she was pretty much a dead weight unless the Murkrow got in close enough for her to use physical attacks.

One of the Murkrow let out a caw, which resounded throughout the flock as they cawed in return. What followed next was another swoop from the Murkrow, but this one was followed up by another wave of them.

Cleo had to think fast, striking the first wave of Murkrow. She couldn't see what success Faith was having, but the rain of black bodies around them meant she'd knocked several of them from the sky. A flash of lightning lit up the trees as Spark sent out a discharge, bringing down more of the Murkrow.

As the discharge cleared, a large beak gaped near Cleo's face. She unfurled her ears, striking the Murkrow with another disarming voice. Something struck her on the back of the head, smacking her across the ears, cutting her attack short. She keeled forwards as the bird struck the floor. Her head was now throbbing. She placed a paw gingerly on the tender spot, her eyes going in and out of focus.

A choked cry filled the air, drowned out by a growl and the sound of flapping wings. Harlequin was shaking a Murkrow in her jaws. She dropped it and looked up at Cleo.

"Are you okay?"

Cleo looked round slowly at the Murkrow. Their confidence had returned and they shot from the sky like wicked black darts. Cleo unfurled her ears and a jolt of pain shot through her head. She fell back, clasping her paws over her ears.

Flapping, black wings filled her vision and sharp claws snatched at her paws and ears as she tried desperately to shield herself. Her heart was in her throat as she realised with sheer horror there was nothing she could do. The voices of her friends were nothing but noise, not registering in her mind.

Someone collided with her body, knocking her sideways into the trunk of a tree. She looked round as a purple flash exploded through the air. It faded away to reveal Mischief where she'd been standing, anger reflecting behind his eyes. Murkrow fell to the ground like a black rain. What remained in the air flapped their wings uncertainly, swerving left and right as they surveyed the situation.

This Whimsicott hadn't been putting up a fight until now. The Murkrow had to rethink their strategy.

She looked back at him, his paws clenched into fists as he leered at the Murkrow above him. He'd saved her life... again. If he hadn't knocked her aside, she would have been overwhelmed by snapping beaks and raking talons.

What seemed to be the lead bird cawed at the other Murkrow around it. It swerved to the left, leading the flock down in a spiral towards the Pokemon below.

Mischief fired another dazzling gleam at them, cutting through the flock and taking out a large number of them. What made it through were engulfed in a discharge or caught in the jaws of Faith's dual horns.

Mischief wasn't letting up. He sent another dazzling gleam into the remaining Murkrow. The flock lost its morale, the remaining birds circling into the canopy with frantic caws. Several energy balls followed them, striking one or two but not quite meeting the ones that were furthest away. The Murkrow vanished into the bare branches, leaving their victims and fallen brethren behind.

Cleo turned to Mischief warily, and her fears were met by the maniacal expression in his eyes.

'_Promise me you'll run._'

"Finally!" Faith clapped her paws together and turned to Cleo.

Cleo raised a paw to stop Faith, but the Mawile moved towards her, tracing over her with concern.

"You took quite a-"

Her words were cut off as an energy ball struck her in the chest. She flew backwards, her eyes wide with alarm as she tried to put the pieces together.

Mischief fixed her with a wicked grin and fired a barrage of energy balls at her. Faith lost control of her mega form, and it faded from her as she collapsed back into the rough trunk of a slender tree.

"Hey!"

He turned his eyes onto Spark. Electricity danced from her cheeks and her eyes narrowed into slits.

"Leave her alone!"

A fine thunder wave shot from her whiskers but Mischief leapt away, gliding on the light breeze. He fired another energy ball at Spark. She jumped backwards, just dodging it, but another one struck her head on as he fired them out in quick succession. She rolled through the air and collided with a tree, slumping to the ground unconscious.

Cleo shook her head, her mind boggled. They were completely at the mercy of his madness, and there was nothing she could do to help them with that pain shooting through her ears. The Murkrow attack had been relentless, giving them no time to run. She watched helplessly as Mischief advanced towards the fallen Dedenne.

Then an idea struck her.

She looked down at Harlequin. The Zorua stood with her mouth agape, shaking her head as she watched the Whimsicott.

"Harlequin."

She snapped her head to look up at her. Her eyes then moved to Cleo's wrist as she snapped the bracelet free from her paw.

"I need you to get in there and grab Spark," she said. "I'll distract Mischief."

"How?"

Cleo's paws fastened around Harlequin's collar. She froze, watching Cleo out of the corner of her eye. With a sharp 'chunk', the collar came apart in her paws and she stood back, letting it fall to the floor.

"I don't know." She looked back at Mischief. He'd grabbed Spark by her tail and was dragging her across the ground, gleeful giggles filling the woods with an air of malice. She shook her head and looked back down at Harlequin. "I'll think of something."

Harlequin nodded and turned, racing across the woods towards the Whimsicott.

Cleo took a couple of bold steps forwards. "Mischief!"

He turned his orange eyes onto her, the Dedenne's tail still clasped in his paw.

Cleo frowned. "Let her go."

Mischief closed his eyes and laughed, lifting Spark up by her tail. He swung her over his head and launched her through the trees. Cleo's heart sank as she watched the little Dedenne fly helplessly through the air.

Harlequin leapt towards her, catching the small Pokemon in her mouth. She skidded onto her back, damp leaves and dirt streaking across the ground and clinging to her fur. Leaping to her feet, she shot through the trees to safety.

Mischief's orange glare locked onto Cleo and a wicked grin spread across his face. He moved towards her slowly, silently. She took a nervous step back but held her ground. If she ran now, there was a chance he'd turn on Faith. She restrained herself from glancing at the Mawile. If she did that and he decided to follow her glance, she might lose his attention.

Although it was unlikely. She was still on her feet, still a moving target.

Cleo was suddenly aware her throat felt dry. The Pokemon moving towards her no longer looked like Mischief. Rather than the carefree friendly look he always gave her, all she could see behind his eyes was maniacal madness.

It frightened her.

She took another step back, meeting the rough bark of a tree. A look of alarm must have crossed her face because Mischief took this opportunity to lunge at her, stopping a mere arm's reach from her. Her heart hammered against her chest and she pressed herself up to the tree.

She was trapped. There was no way she could run now.

She swallowed drily and tried to look as confident as she could.

"Mischief..." Her voice cracked and she took in a ragged breath. "I know you're in there."

A maniacal chuckle escaped him and he reached up and grabbed her ruff, pushing her into the tree, the rough bark scraping against her fur. Her breath caught in her throat but she didn't take her eyes off his.

"Mischief, I know you'd _never _hurt us. This isn't you."

No, whatever was controlling him definitely wasn't him.

He'd shown her kindness, saved her life, danced with her, spent time with her.

She raised her paw and let it rest on his shoulder. His eyes snapped to it, his grin twisting into a sneer.

"This isn't you..."

Her claws wound into his fur and she blinked back tears, trying to swallow down the lump that rose in her throat. His glare snapped back to her again and his eyes softened briefly, and his grip loosened on her ruff. Whatever mania remained in his eyes was replaced with panic and he stepped back, shaking his head violently as he warred with whatever it was that was going on in his mind.

She'd never seen him react like this before. He normally just wore himself out and collapsed with exhaustion. Whatever she was doing, it seemed to be working.

She took a step forward and reached out to him. "Mischief?"

"Cleo..."

He didn't look at her, both paws clasped over his head. She rushed over to him and grabbed his shoulders.

"Mischief?"  
"No, I..."

He grasped both her arms, his sharp claws digging into her flesh as a blind fury filled his eyes. He shook his head again violently and Cleo flinched as he released her and stumbled back.

She lurched forwards and grabbed his fur, pulling him back towards her. She landed on her knees, dragging the Whimsicott down with her.

"I know you're in there! Come back to me, please..."

He leant into her as he fell to the floor, placing both paws on her shoulders to steady himself. He was close enough to her now for her to smell the pollen on his fur, the familiarity of it causing her to relax.

"Cleo..."  
His breath tickled her face and she loosened her grip on his fur. There was no malice in his voice any more, no efforts to try and attack her. Was he back? She tried to meet his eyes, raising a paw to his cheek. When he looked at her, that maniacal madness had been replaced by a tenderness that made her heart skip a beat. She inched closer to him, catching his lips in hers.

His body froze, his claws digging into her shoulders. Then, for a brief moment, he kissed her back before his strength left his body.

Cleo released him, her paw going to her mouth as Mischief slumped to the floor. He looked up at her, his large eyes wide with confusion.

"Cleo?"

She scooted back from him, clasping both paws over her mouth as she stared down at him. He closed his eyes as exhaustion claimed him.

Cleo was barely looking at him any more, her mind too busy trying to work out what had come over her.

A small movement behind her was followed by a small voice as Faith crouched down beside her.

"What... what happened?"  
Cleo said nothing. She closed her eyes and looked away from Mischief, her gaze locking for a brief moment on Harlequin with Spark sat on her back.

The Dedenne cleared her throat. "Is now a bad time to let you know my back hurts?"

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	43. Snowfall

**A/N - This chapter took a fair bit of editing while writing it, and afterwards as well. At one point I deleted a chunk and completely re-wrote it. I was really upset with it actually. It hadn't worked. The re-write was much much better. Even now, while proof-reading, I've been adding and changing bits. I think it's more or less done now, and I'm glad I can submit it for you guys. I hope you enjoy it!**

**Thanks so much to all who review, read, fave, subscribe and all that! You're all awesome! =D**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

43 – Snowfall

Yurlik had watched the battle unfold from his perch on a thick tree bough. It had looked like his Murkrow soldiers might actually win, but then that Whimsicott jumped in and drastically reduced their numbers.

Then the Whimsicott turned on his friends.

Yurlik had watched this with great interest as he picked off the Mawile and Dedenne before rounding on the Meowstic. But she'd intervened. She'd survived.

And the other two... they'd survived also.

Then there was Harlequin. What was he doing helping them?

"You look distressed, fatso."

Yurlik's red eyes snapped to focus on Enigma sitting in a nearby tree. The Banette watched him with a look of amusement as he licked a thick red paste off his paws. The familiar smell reached Yurlik's nostrils instantly. Colbur berries...

The Honchkrow sneered and looked back down at the woodland floor. The group of Pokemon were gathering themselves together, discussing what they were going to do next, however the Whimsicott was still out cold.

"You're planning on jumping them aren't you?"

Yurlik glanced at the Banette. He was watching the Pokemon below with a small half smile playing across his face.

"What business is it to you?" Yurlik growled.

"None whatsoever." Enigma fixed him with a crimson stare and licked more berry paste off his claws. "But I am intrigued as to why you're just sat there, doing nothing."

Yurlik said nothing, trying to focus all his attention on watching the Meowstic and her small group of friends.

"I mean, you could always go down there yourself," Enigma went on. "I never understood why you just send your goons in to do your dirty work for you. You're a _lot_ bigger than they are."

Enigma chuckled and Yurlik felt his feathers bristle.

"I think you should just drag your feathered tush down there and give it a shot. Besides, the Dedenne's awake now. It should be interesting." The Banette chuckled again, keeping his crimson stare on the large Honchkrow. "I always wondered what a fried Honchkrow looks like."

Yurlik snapped his head round to leer at Enigma. "Those colbur berries can only protect you so much, you know!" He clicked his beak and glared at the Banette's stupid grin. "Aren't you supposed to be gathering information?"  
"No." Enigma folded his paws behind his head and yawned. "I'm _bored_ of that now. I think I'll just stay here."  
"Or you could get back there and report?" Yurlik mumbled, dragging his attention away from Enigma.

"I don't think so. I have no intention of going back."

Yurlik snapped to look round at him again. His eyes narrowed at Enigma's nonchalant expression.

"No intention?" the Honchkrow sneered.

"Nope. None whatsoever." Enigma closed his eyes and shrugged. "I have to say, I'm pretty fed up of being bossed about by a massive bully and a stupid dragon."

Yurlik launched himself across the branches to throw a sucker punch at Enigma, but his head struck the solid trunk of the tree as the Banette warped away. Yurlik shook his head sharply, spreading his wings to maintain his balance on the slender branch. The Banette's maniacal giggles and tinkling bell faded away as he warped to safety.

Yurlik cursed under his breath and clicked his beak in irritation. First Boomer and now Harlequin and Enigma? How on earth was he supposed to break this news to Hydreigon?

...

"Cleo, we can't stay here indefinitely." Faith placed a paw on the Meowstic's shoulder. "We need to move on."

"Yeh." Spark sniffed. "All these Murkrow bodies are making me feel uncomfortable."

Cleo stood up and stepped back from the unconscious Whimsicott. "Yes, I agree. Let's move."  
She unfurled her ears to lift Mischief off the floor and cringed as that pain shot through them again.

"Don't worry about carrying him," said Faith. "I can do it."

"No." Harlequin lowered herself so Spark could leap off her back. "You got hurt. I'll do it."  
"Really?" Spark looked down at her and moved stiffly across her shoulders, flinching with the effort.

Cleo scooped up the Dedenne and set her safely in her neck fur. She wasn't sure whether it was the collision with the tree or her tail being pulled that pained her friend, but she made a mental note to check her over when they found somewhere to camp out for the night.

Faith lifted Mischief onto the Zorua's back. "He isn't too heavy for you?"  
Harlequin snorted. "No, he's mostly just fur!"

Cleo had nothing to say. Her mind was still reeling with everything that had happened. She felt embarrassed, but none of her friends were pressing her for the details of her actions. She turned away from Harlequin and moved through the trees, a dull throb resounding in her ears. She spotted the collar and bracelet combo lying discarded on the floor and hesitated before gathering them up.

Harlequin paused beside her. "Are you wanting to put them back on?"

The Zorua sounded slightly disappointed. She obviously thought she'd won the Meowstic's trust.

Cleo looked down at her then back at the collar. With a sigh, she stuffed them both into her bag.

"No. You've shown you can be trusted."

Harlequin looked at them each in turn. "Really?"

Cleo turned to face her. "Yes."

"Of course!" said Faith with a grin. "You've helped out more than you think these past couple of days!"

"And you did save my life," said Spark. "So who am I to complain?"

Harlequin smiled and let out a small laugh. She moved on ahead with a glance back at Cleo.

"Let's... get Mischief somewhere safe so he can wake up. The last thing he's gonna want to see is all this."

Cleo gave one last look around at the Murkrow massacre then followed the Zorua through the trees.

"I've just realised something," said Faith. "Without that collar on, you'll be able to assist us with the fairy type move you learned!"

Harlequin froze, Mischief almost sliding off her back. Faith stopped beside her and looked down at the Zorua.

"Is something wrong?"

"I didn't learn it..."

Faith raised an eyebrow. "You didn't?"

"Xerneas tried to teach me disarming voice, like Cleo." Harlequin glanced up at the Mawile. "But I couldn't do it."

"Oh..." Faith scratched her head.

"Was it because of the collar?" Cleo ventured to ask. "Because I thought it didn't work in the Fairy Garden."

"No." Harlequin started to move on. "I could use other attacks. I just couldn't manage that one."  
Faith followed after her slowly. "Maybe... maybe you need more practice?"

Harlequin shook her head. "Xerneas told me it'll come to me when I realise how much I need to fight against the Darkness."

"You are fighting against it. Now the collar is off, you can try and see if you can use it?"

Harlequin looked back at her. "The thing is, Faith... I don't know how. What do I say? Do I need to shout anything special?"

Faith went quiet, clasping her paws behind her back. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out and she looked at the ground as she kept pace beside Harlequin. For the first time since she'd met her, Cleo was witnessing Faith rendered speechless.

"I'll trust what he said," Harlequin went on. "That it will come to me eventually."

Faith nodded. "I... I think that's best. I believe there's more to it than what you shout." She paused. "Hope doesn't shout anything special. I think what Xerneas meant about needing to realise how much you need to fight against the Darkness is that you may need to realise the full direness of the situation."

"I already know the world's a mess," Harlequin said bluntly.

"But do you know how much you need to fight it?"

Harlequin glanced away from Faith and went silent, her eyes almost unfocusing as she entered her own thoughts.

The direness of the situation... was there more to learning to use those attacks than just outright learning them? Cleo's mind was too boggled to fully fathom what Faith had just tried to explain.

The small group walked on in silence, the land sloping gently upwards. The woods weren't very big, and they were soon through them.

The land opened up into an explosion of green rolling hills that seemed to go on for miles where they eventually rose up even higher into tall, rocky mountains topped with white. The odd tree was scattered here and there, but the landscape before them was pretty much bare leaving them feeling exposed.

They waded through the grass which rose up to Cleo's middle. Very few Pokemon had been this way recently, leaving the land virtually untouched. There was no sign of any nearby towns or villages from what they could see. Cleo had no idea how long they'd be left sleeping out in the open.

"I can't see any sign of a desert," Spark muttered from amongst Cleo's neck fur. "All I see is green."

Cleo nodded sadly. "I've no idea where to go. Instinctively, I want to head to the mountains."

"I agree. We'd get more cover there."  
"But more risk of landslides." As Harlequin looked around, Mischief almost slipped to the floor. She grabbed his paw in her jaws to steady him on her back. "But if you want to head that way, I'm not complaining. We're rather exposed out here."

"But we want to find a desert, and Mulch mentioned an island of fire and ground Pokemon," said Faith. "If we want to find either, we should head to where it's warm. The mountains are capped with snow."

Cleo looked up at the mountains again. At this time of year, most mountains were capped with snow. Green hills, rocky mountains... no sign of any sand.

"Speaking of which." The Mawile held out a paw, catching a soft falling white flake which melted as soon as it touched her fur.

They looked up at the sky. The fluffy white clouds above them had decided to release their load onto the earth. White flakes of snow floated down towards them, growing in size and intensity, scattering the green grass with a dusting of white.

"This is only going to get worse," said Faith. "We need to find somewhere to put up our tent."

Cleo nodded, and looked around. "Can you suggest where?"

Faith glanced back at the little wood and shook her head. "I'm not sure. We may have to walk and find somewhere."

"Hmm." Cleo nodded. "Retracing our steps wouldn't be wise either. Those Murkrow might still be waiting in there."

"Yeh. I don't really feel like fighting them any more." Spark huddled into Cleo's fur. "Let's just walk. We might find shelter in the mountains."

Harlequin moved closer to them and inclined her head on one side. "The upside to this weather is the Murkrow and dragon Pokemon won't risk travelling in it. On the other hand," she nodded to Mischief sprawled across her back, "it's his weakness too. If you're worried for his safety, I suggest we find shelter and fast."  
Cleo watched after the Zorua as she moved away towards the mountains. She'd been a little anxious not putting the collar back on her, but Harlequin seemed to be making an effort to help.

_"Given the chance, anyone can change. But for some reason you can't see that."... "All the Pokemon here were seeking solitude. That's how they found this place."... "If she didn't want to be here, she'd be stood in an empty clearing wondering where you'd vanished to."... "What you're clearly too blind to see is that in the Shadow Lands it's either obey, run for your life, or die!"_

Was it really that simple? Were all Pokemon looking for solitude in this war? Given the chance, even the worst of the worst could just... change?

_"You might not be my friends, but I'm no longer your enemy."_

Cleo felt a small smile tug at her lips and she followed after Harlequin, raising a paw to shield her eyes from the quickly intensifying snowfall. Harlequin had given a village an antidote, protected a child from the attacks of a Murkrow flock, saved Spark from Mischief... It was hard to convince herself that this wasn't some elaborate ruse, but if Harlequin had really wanted to hurt them, then what was stopping her from turning on them now?

"Give it time, Cleo," she muttered to herself.

Spark looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Having doubts?"

"Not quite." Cleo hugged herself and watched the snow fall around her. "I'm fighting them."

...

The wind whipped snow violently through the air, obscuring the group's field of vision. The sky seemed darker than it should be, the blue sky blocked out by a wall of thick clouds.

Mischief had been wrapped in the yellow sheet they normally used for a tent, which made it a little more difficult for Harlequin to carry him. It worked to keep the worse of the snow off his body, but sooner or later the fabric would become sodden with freezing water.

"This one's no good either," said Faith, shielding her face as she looked back at Cleo.

The Mawile had been referring to the tree coming up in front of them. Cleo gave a small sigh. No low branches. This had been the fifth tree they'd passed that hadn't been good enough to provide them shelter. With the violent snowstorm, they no longer had a clear view of the mountain which meant they had no idea how close they were to it.

"We could break some of the branches off?" Spark suggested. "Use them to prop up a shelter somehow?"  
Faith craned her neck to look up into the tree. None of them could reach those branches, and even though Cleo could now uncurl her ears, it still hurt to use any of her abilities.

"I could shoot some branches down," said Harlequin. "But if I misfire, the whole tree is going to come down."

"Misfire?" Spark shouted over the wind.

"It's hard to see in this snow!" Harlequin turned away and braced herself as a wave of frozen wind blew over them. "I'm getting worried we're going to freeze to death!"  
"We won't," said Faith. "This storm will be over sooner or later."  
"Later and we'll be little frozen Pokemon icicles!" Spark hugged herself and huddled further into Cleo's fur. "I'm starting to lose hope!"

"No, don't do that!" Faith gasped. "Look, we'll find somewhere. There's bound to be more trees."

"How about a bush?"

Harlequin was stood a few feet away from them. Cleo could just make out her shadowy form in the sheet of white air. She pushed herself through it and noticed the Zorua was looking back at them from beside a large leafy bush. It towered over them, and seemed to be dense enough to provide sufficient shelter.

Harlequin vanished inside it and Cleo and Faith didn't hesitate to follow her. A few branches provided a small obstacle but once past it they found themselves sitting in a little den of leaves and twigs. The wind howled away outside and the occasional small gust found its way through little gaps in the bush's leaves, but the snow was kept at bay.

Faith gave a squeal of glee and clapped her paws, a huge smile spreading across her face.

"Even now, Xerneas is helping us!"

They followed her gaze to a patch of tiny, colourful flowers dotted around the edge of the bush.

Cleo felt her eyes widen and her jaw drop. It wasn't the first time she'd seen those flowers.

Harlequin made a loud gasp and looked up at Faith. "He put this bush here?"

The Mawile was still grinning widely, clapping her paws together. "Of course!"

"Wow." The Zorua sat down and lowered Mischief slowly to the floor. "I... I don't even..."

"This is fantastic!" Spark leapt from Cleo's shoulder and flinched slightly as her feet struck the ground. "You know what? I think I'm gonna lie down and see if that fixes my back."  
"Let me take a look." Cleo scooped Spark onto her lap and ran a paw down her spine. She gave a small sigh of relief. "Nothing's out of place."  
"That's good to know." Spark yawned. She hopped off Cleo's lap and lay on her back. "How are your ears doing?"  
Cleo shrugged. "Better than they were."

Faith scooted over to her and placed a paw behind her ears. Cleo's face twisted in a grimace and she flinched away.

"Ouch!"

"They're bruised," said Faith flatly. She gave Cleo a small smile. "That's all. Nothing serious."  
"I wasn't worried it was serious." Cleo gingerly rubbed the back of her head. "But... thank you."  
Faith chuckled and leant back on her paws, staring at the wall of leaves. "Do you want me to keep watch?"

"I think we're hidden enough."

"From eyes, yes," said Harlequin.

Cleo looked down at her. The Zorua had curled up next to Mischief, having removed the yellow cloth and discarding it beside one of the walls.

"Some Pokemon have fantastic noses," she explained. "One of us should stay awake."

"I can do it." Faith gave them a smile. "The cold doesn't bother me that much."

Cleo fixed her with surprised eyes. "Don't sit out in the snow, Faith."

Faith raised an eyebrow. "How can I keep watch if I don't know what I'm watching?"

"Exactly. They'll probably smell you before you see them."

Harlequin gave a small nod. "Cleo's right. Watch from in here." She curled up smaller, placing her paws over her tail. "That's what I'm doing."

"She has a point," said Spark. She licked her lips and stared up at the ceiling of the bush. "I'd like a berry."

Deciding that was a fantastic idea, Cleo pulled the supplies from her bag and divided up meals for the four of them.

"Ooh! You have cheri berries!" Spark leaned forward to grab them.

"Just one," Cleo told her. "You have some recovering to do."  
Spark chuckled and snatched up one of the cheri berries, falling back onto her bottom next to Faith.

"I take it those are your favourites?" Faith smiled down at her.

"Oh yes!"  
The two broke into a light conversation but Cleo became quickly oblivious to it. She looked back at Harlequin still curled up next to Mischief but happily tucking into the dried meat she'd offered to her. Harlequin looked up at her, catching her eye, but Cleo looked past her at the unconscious Whimsicott. Small, slushy patches of melting snow covered parts of his head and horns. She looked away sharply and let out a sigh, frowning down at her fish. She'd been a massive idiot.

"Don't wanna talk about it?"  
She looked over at Spark. The Dedenne clutched an oran berry in both paws and fixed her with a look of concern.

Cleo looked away. "Not really." She took a bite of her fish to make her point.

"All right. But it might help."

"How? He's probably going to remember." Cleo lowered her fish. Everything suddenly felt suffocating, and she found herself craving open air. She stood up and made for the small gap in the bush.

"Oh don't go outside!" Faith leant forward and grabbed her paw. "It's freezing."

Cleo flinched and sat back down.

"Besides," said Spark, "you never know. The memory loss might work in your favour." She paused. "That is, if you don't _want_ him to remember."

"I don't know," Faith began. "I wouldn't assume remembering is a bad thing. I mean... I've seen the way he looks at you."

Cleo shook her head. "My head's a mess right now, I don't want to talk about it." She dropped what was left of her fish into her bag. "I think I need some sleep."

"Cleo?" Harlequin raised her head and fixed her with her blue eyes. "I hate to bring this up right now, but... we need to keep him warm."

Cleo looked back at Mischief. Harlequin was right. Despite the shelter from the wind, it was still cold. She flexed her paws and glanced away. Everything felt really awkward now. She gave herself a mental shake. He was still her friend, and Spark was right. He might not remember.

She moved over to him and paused, brushing the remains of the snow from his head. Giving a small sigh, she withdrew her paw. "I'm sorry."

It was ridiculous really. He couldn't hear her. She moved to his other side and fell back onto the damp ground.

Really... if she could turn back time...

She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.

"I've just realised something," said Faith. She looked round at the others with a smile. "I don't know how you lot met."

Harlequin fixed her with one eye. "Does it matter?"  
"Well, we've no idea how long this storm will last." The Mawile crossed her paws onto her lap. "If we're going to be stuck here for a while, we might as well pass the time, huh?"

"Good point," said Spark. "Where do we begin?"

Faith shrugged. "Start with you. How did you meet Cleo?"  
Cleo flinched and stared up at the leaves over her head. That wasn't exactly a memory she wanted to re-live.

"I think Cleo and I are the same on this one," Spark explained. "We don't really like thinking back at it."

"We might as well tell her." Cleo pushed herself up on one paw to look at Faith over Mischief and Harlequin. "You could say we're both survivors."  
"Oh?" A look of sadness crossed the Mawile's face. "If you don't want to bring it up, then-"

"It's fine," said Spark. "You already know we're worried about facing the Wildfires. There's a pretty good reason for that. They attacked our village."

Cleo nodded, hiding another grimace behind her paw. "My family like many other Meowstic lived in the old Sparkling Forest. You will probably now know it as the Forest of Ashes."

Harlequin lowered her head onto her paws and diverted her eyes. "It doesn't take a genius to work out what happened to it..."  
"No." Cleo flopped onto her back. "It was ransacked by Howlinger and the Wildfires. One of the first places to go, when he suddenly decided to wipe out all psychic type Pokemon. I was just an Espurr at the time. I'd left my home to go playing outside the forest on the Rocky Plains, but when I came back the entire place was ablaze. I heard this crying and I looked down and there was Spark. This tiny little Dedenne who'd been told to run, leaving her family behind."

"They put me out of a window," Spark explained. "My parents were cornered in flames, but they didn't make it. I just used my size and hid."

"I realised I wasn't alone in that disaster, so I picked up Spark and went to find help. Eventually we stumbled on the Guild. They were taking in refugees and we decided after a while we wanted to help others who'd suffered like we had."

Faith looked down at her paws, her jovial smile now gone. "I'm sorry to hear that." She paused. "This world really is suffering right now."

"Yup." Spark blinked her large eyes and looked over at the unconscious Mischief. "As for him, however... he robbed us."

"What?" Faith's eyes widened and she snapped to look round at the Whimsicott. "He robbed you?"  
"Yup! Talk about an ice breaker, eh?"

Cleo chuckled drily. "It was what happened after that which solidified his part in our little group."

Faith inclined her head on one side, silently waiting for Cleo to elaborate.

"We were attacked by a Noivern – Boomer to be exact," Cleo went on. "Mischief took him out. He saved our lives."

"Oh!" Faith exclaimed. "I wondered what had happened to have assassins after you."

Harlequin chuckled. "Saved your life, huh? I can relate to that."

The other Pokemon looked down at the Zorua. Her blue eyes were moist, but Cleo wasn't sure if it was from her own memories or the stories she'd heard.

"What do you mean?" Faith asked.

"Shortly after I met Enigma," Harlequin began, "he saved my life."

"Really?" Spark raised an eyebrow. "I have to admit, I didn't exactly think assassins looked out for each other. I've seen enough Murkrow ditch their allies to come to _that _conclusion."

Harlequin snorted. "Well, he's not a Murkrow." She paused and licked her lips, looking thoughtful as she wondered whether or not she should share her story. Finally, she went on. "It was after a training session. I got upset that I might have to evolve, despite not using standard fighting methods. Unfortunately you're not allowed to wear things like everstones in case they're used against you – snagged, lost and used for tracking and so on."

"But doesn't Enigma wear a scarf?" Cleo asked.

"His bell and scarf are made from ghost materials," Harlequin explained. "He can manipulate them. Unlike us, who can't do such things. Anyway, I got upset and tried to figure some way to carry an everstone without having to wear it around my neck. The only thing I could think of was embedding it into my body in some way, so I tried to bury a shard of it in my leg." She stretched out her right foreleg and nodded at it. "You've probably noticed I have a limp. It's more noticeable when I'm tired."

Cleo was speechless. She stared down at the Zorua's limb, and could make out a spot where the fur was finer. She'd not noticed it before, but there was some evidence of scarring barely visible through her dark fur.

"Wow!" Spark gasped. "Talk about taking things to extremes!"  
Harlequin flashed her canines at Spark then went back to her story. "Enigma found me. I don't remember much of it, it's a bit of a blur. But he removed the shard and sealed up the wound. If he hadn't found me, I likely would have bled to death."

Cleo looked away from her, her mouth still hanging open. She shook her head, now aware the entire bush had fallen into silence. She decided to break it by asking the one question that had surfaced in her mind.

"So you're afraid of evolution?"

"Pretty much," Harlequin answered.

"But... he removed it," said Spark. "How have you not evolved?"  
The Zorua shrugged. "I don't think he got it all. A small piece may have broken off in the process."

The others were silent for a moment, listening to the wind howl through the air and the soft patter of snow striking against the bush's broad leaves.

"I'd like to ask what happened to make you afraid," said Faith. "But some fears aren't exactly logical."

Harlequin curled up and looked away from the Mawile, but Cleo caught a glimpse of a frown before she flicked her tail across her face to hide it.

Spark yawned loudly and stretched her tiny body. "Well, I think I'm going to get some R and R." She hopped over to Cleo and curled up by her feet. "See you in the morning."

"That's not a bad plan." Cleo rolled over onto her side, keeping her back to Mischief. "Wake me when it's my shift, Faith?"

Faith smiled. "Sure thing."

Cleo closed her eyes. Their conversation hadn't done much to alleviate her conflicting emotions. Hopefully a good night's sleep would clear her head.

...

**I think a lot has been revealed here! I'm starting to catch up fast as well. I need to crack on and get writing! D=**

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	44. A Sheet of White

**A/N - I managed to get two chapters written this week and hope to at least make a start on another one today. I'm glad I've got this done as I was toying with the idea of reducing uploads to one a week, but I really don't want to do that. I'm going to try my best to juggle studying and writing to avoid this happening, but it's not completely off the cards. I feel a little behind in my class, and I want to catch up... And at the moment, uploads are getting a little too close to comfort to where I'm at with the story. There's the ever growing risk I may need to edit a previously-uploaded chapter to make sure there are no loose threads or random plot changes... We'll see! **

**I will say one thing, however. I am totally committed to this story and will not abandon it. So you can rest assured there =D**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its characters!**

44 – A Sheet of White

The Servine examined the hole in the tunnel floor, flinching away from the occasional flurry of snow that was blown down through the air vent. Tinker watched him with his arms crossed, leaning against the wall beside Sandpaw and Scout. It was no fault of the Servine's, but his patience was growing thin. They'd been stuck in this tunnel now for almost a day.

"How is it looking?" Tinker asked.

"I don't know." The Servine looked up at the Excadrill behind him. "Are you sure it will hold?"

The Excadrill shrugged. "I dunno. Hopefully, because that's a long drop."

Tinker heard the Servine gulp and look anxiously back down at the hole.

"Do we need to go back?" Tinker pointed behind him, his voice coming out flustered. "Find another entrance?"  
"I did suggest that, but you didn't want to." The Excadrill crossed his large paws. "Are you losing your courage now, Tinker?"

Tinker frowned. "I wouldn't talk to your superiors like that, Ironclaw."  
The Excadrill snorted and looked away from him to examine the soil at the edge of the hole.

"I think it'll hold," he told the Servine. "Give it a shot."

"All right then." Despite Ironclaw's words, the Servine sounded uncertain. He sent two vines out from the leaves around his neck across the hole to the other side. "Who's coming first?"  
"Send the child." Tinker nodded at Scout.

Sandpaw scooped up the little Sentret and held him to her chest. "No, if it gives way -"

"There's less a chance of that with him," Tinker told her. "He weighs next to nothing!"

"I'd rather be certain it can hold more!"

"Do _you_ want to go first?" Tinker asked.

Sandpaw stared at the hole for a moment and took a small step back, shaking her head.

Tinker let out a small sigh and ran a paw over his head. Females and children first. That was his priority in the safety of the Guild. They'd get to safety and the warriors would fight. But right now, this stubborn, nervous Furret wasn't making things easy for him. If she needed reassurance that this procedure was safe...

"Fine. I'll go first." Tinker approached the Servine's vines and looked back at Sandpaw. "If he carries me over successfully, will you follow me?"

Sandpaw bit her lip and glanced away from him. She gave a sharp nod and took another step back.

Tinker frowned and looked back at the Servine. "Ready when you are."  
The vines wrapped around his chest and arms and he was lifted off the ground. Air rushed past his ears as he was whisked to the other side and lowered down beside Ironclaw.

"Okay! That's one down." The Servine stretched his vines across the hole again.

Tinker smiled at Sandpaw. "Nothing to worry about. Are you coming?"  
Sandpaw hesitated, staring down at the green vines.

Scout wriggled in her grip. "Come on, mum! It looks like fun!"  
"O-okay." Sandpaw let Scout hop to the floor. "Take him first."

"Woohoo!" Scout sprinted to the Servine's vines.

In one swift motion, the little Sentret was whisked to the other side. He hopped up and down, waving his paws eagerly.

"Come on, mum!"  
The Furret wrung her paws together and slowly paced over to the hole. The strong vines were secured around her body and she gave a yelp as she was whisked into the air. She stood shaking as she was released from the vines next to Tinker.

"Whew!" The Servine ran a paw across his brow. "I have to say, I was worried this wasn't going to work! I'm glad you're all safe!"  
Tinker gave him a small smile. "Well, we couldn't have done it without you. Thank you." He then looked at Ironclaw and gave him a nod. "Both of you."

The Excadrill returned it with a smile. "Glad to see you're finally on this side of the hole."

"Can I go again?!" Scout hopped up and down in front of the Servine, his paws stretched up to him.

The Servine laughed. "No, I don't think you're mum would be very happy with that." He looked up at Sandpaw.

The Furret looked down at her son then back at the hole before turning her back on it.

"I'd... rather get as far away from that hole as possible."  
A flurry of snow blew through the air vent, dotting the ground with soft, white flakes.

Ironclaw snorted. "It's getting colder. I'd rather put this area behind me for now. Let's get a move on."

"I agree," said Tinker. "The cold season has officially set in. There's no sense in freezing ourselves. Let's move on."

"We may as well accompany you back to New City," said Ironclaw. "I need to head back anyway. I can't fill that hole in on my own."

"We'd be glad of the company."

Scout looked up at the Excadrill. "Are you a hero?"

Ironclaw chuckled. "I wouldn't say I'm a hero. I just maintain the tunnels."

The little Sentret pointed at the Servine. "But you are. Right?"

The Servine blushed bright red. "I uhm..."

Sandpaw laughed and nudged Scout ahead of them. "Come on, Scout. Don't mither."

They turned from the hole and marched down the dark tunnel towards New City.

...

The snow had eased off by the time Cleo was woken for her shift. The wind had dropped, creating nothing more than a gentle breeze through the branches of the large bush.

She ventured to peer outside, pushing the leaves aside. The snow fell steadily, vanishing into the vast sheet of white that blanketed the long grass. The green blades had been almost completely covered, poking up here and there where the blizzard hadn't beaten them down to hide beneath the thick snow.

She stepped outside, the pads of her paws momentarily shocked by the cold surface of the soft, white snow. It was still dark, the stars hidden behind thick clouds. The moon was barely visible, casting little light down onto the hills. Cleo could barely make out the dark shapes of the trees in the distance.

With the snow still falling and the chill in the air, it was unlikely any Murkrow would attempt to fly, but she didn't want to take any chances. She unfurled her ears and let out a sigh of relief as she managed it with barely a flinch. That shocking pain had subsided into nothing more than an annoying ache.

"You shouldn't be out here alone."

Cleo almost leapt from her skin. She span to face the speaker and clasped a paw to her chest. Mischief was stood holding the thin branches of the bush aside, his orange eyes reflecting what little light there was.

She shook her head and looked away. "You shouldn't be out here at all, it's freezing."

"I still have fur."

She heard the snow crunch, followed by a sharp intake of breath as he moved over to her. He stopped beside her and she cast him a glance. He hugged his arms around himself and stared aghast at the blanketed hills.

"Did... the world change while I was asleep?"  
"No." She looked away from him and mimicked his posture, rubbing her paws over her arms. "It's just snow."  
"Snow?" He dragged his right foot through the snow, revealing the grass beneath. "I guess this is what you meant by the cold season."

Cleo felt a small wave of relief run through her. It seemed he had no memory of her foolish mistake. She flopped to her bottom in the snow and a small shock ran through her body as the cold penetrated her fur. She stifled a small yelp of surprise.

He shuddered and rubbed at his arms. "Harlequin's right. I really haven't a clue."

She grimaced and huddled into herself. "I wouldn't let her get to you."

He looked down at her but said nothing. His orange eyes seemed to search her and she shrank further into herself, trying to drag her attention from his gaze by staring at the shadows of the trees on the horizon.

Finally he looked away. "Cleo... about that kiss..."

Cleo grit her teeth together and flinched. So he _did_ remember.

"Sorry, Mischief. I don't really want to talk about it."  
"Well _I_ do. I don't understand."

"Neither do I..."

He paused. "I told you to run."

"I know. But I couldn't leave Spark."

"Couldn't you just grab her and run?"

"No. Things got... complicated." When he didn't respond, she glanced up at him briefly before looking back out at the horizon. "I also thought you were coming to your senses."  
"So you risked your life?"

"I had no choice."  
She felt his eyes on her again and she flinched at her own words. She really hadn't thought that through. No choice? He already thought he was a monster. It was her choice to run into danger...

He traced his eyes over her body. "Did I hurt you?"

Cleo ran her right paw up and down her left arm, rubbing at the fine scratches under her fur. "No."

He hugged himself and looked away from her. Her voice sounded hesitant, and he'd clearly picked up on it. But those scratches didn't even bother her. It wasn't exactly a lie.

"You were too reckless."

His voice was blunt. She looked up at him, but he stared off at the shadowy trees. It was difficult to make out his expression in the dark, but his tone said it all. He was annoyed with her.

"You shouldn't have confronted me," he went on.

"I had to, otherwise you would have turned on everyone else."  
"It was foolishness."

"You weren't there."

"I _was_ there, Cleo."

"No, you weren't. You don't remember it. You have no idea what was going on."  
He ran a paw over his head and let out an exasperated sigh. "I remember enough to have a pretty good idea of what you did, Cleo. Risking your life to try to stop me was a ridiculous thing to do."

Cleo grit her teeth. "What was I supposed to do? You'd already knocked out two of my friends! Was I supposed to just leave them there?!"

No sooner had the words left her mouth, she regretted them. She stared up at him, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to think of some way to take it back. He stared back at her, his eyes widening as he let it all sink in. His paws fell to his side and he shrugged off Harlequin's bag, letting it drop into the snow.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I can't -"

He turned and walked away from her, moving past the large bush.

"Wait! Mischief!" Cleo rose to her feet and ran to catch up with him. "Where are you going?"

"It's too much of a risk for me to stay around you."

"But it's freezing." She took his paw and slowly moved back to the bush. "Come on, we'll go back inside."

"No." He snatched his paw from her and looked away. "I care about you too much to keep putting you and your friends in danger. It's safer for you if I just leave."

"But..." Cleo shook her head. "It's dangerous out there on your own. They're looking for you."

"Then... I'll hide..."

Cleo watched helplessly as he moved away from her, tears stinging her eyes. If he was really leaving, then what could she do to stop him?

She took a step forwards. "We're looking for a cure!"  
He looked back at her, his arms hanging limply at his sides. "Is there one?"

Cleo faltered, fidgeting her paws together. "Harlequin thinks there might be a poison that can kill off the parasite."

"Then..." He looked away from her and sighed. "Then maybe I'll find it first."

He turned and walked away, leaving Cleo standing there, aghast. This couldn't be happening. He couldn't just leave them. Her chest felt tight. She took in a raspy breath and hugged herself as she blinked back tears from her eyes.

"But... I don't want you to leave..." Her voice came out weak, falling on deaf ears. She stood frozen to the spot, watching his form grow smaller and smaller as he moved out of sight.

...

**This is one of them instances where I wasn't expecting the ending... I cried.**

**Please R&amp;R!**


	45. Travelling Outcasts

**A/N - well, I didn't get chapter 60 written. I'll try and get that done today.**

**Interesting fact - The Travelling Outcasts in this chapter are actually inspired by a suggestion from Negrek on the Serebii forums. I liked it so much I decided to incorporate it later on. Now here they are!**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

45 – Travelling Outcasts

Spark stormed out of the bush, her little body sinking into the thick snow.

"Hey, Cleo! You didn't wake me!" She stopped next to her friend and looked up at her, her little nose twitching. "Cleo? Are you all right?"

Cleo sighed and looked away from the Dedenne. "Mischief left."  
"What?" Spark sat down, the snow rising up to her chest. "He's... what? When?"

The bush rustled behind her and Faith and Harlequin's feet crunched over the snow. Harlequin's blue eyes flashed Cleo a look of concern before surveying their surroundings.

"He's really gone?" Faith looked over her shoulder at the white-capped mountains.

Cleo grunted a reply.

"Wow." Harlequin glanced back at her. "Talk about taking things badly."

Spark fixed the Zorua with a glare, electricity flowing from her whiskers and dancing over her orange fur.

Harlequin watched her for a moment then looked away. "Sorry. But if you said it, it would be funny."

"Sense the mood!" Spark turned back to Cleo and sighed. "What do we do now? Do we go looking for him?"

"No." Cleo pushed herself to her feet and gathered up the bag Mischief had dropped. Fresh snow fell from it, joining the white blanket over the grass. She tossed it to Harlequin. "I believe that's yours?"

"You're giving it back?" Spark gasped.

"Sure. Whatever." Cleo moved past the Zorua. "I want to put this place behind me. Let's go."  
"Oh, Cleo..." Faith trotted to her side and fell in pace beside her. "It's freezing. Are you sure you don't want to look for him?"

Cleo shook her head. "He doesn't want us to."

"But-"

"Let's just... find this fire Pokemon. That's what we've been asked to do, right?"  
Cleo looked from Faith to Spark.

Spark nodded and hopped up onto her shoulder. "Let's find that desert then, shall we?"  
Cleo looked over at Harlequin. The Zorua was still sat by the bush watching them.

"Are you coming?"

Harlequin shook her head. "No."  
Cleo narrowed her eyes. "No?"  
"No. I'm going to look for Harbinger." She stood and trotted in the direction of the mountains.  
"Wait, Harlequin." Faith caught up to her and cut her off. "We did say we'd help you find your friend."  
"Yes." Harlequin nodded. "If our paths just happen to cross. If we split up, I can search for him and you can look for the fire Pokemon. We'll finish both tasks _much_ faster."

Faith's paws fell to her side and she stared down at the Zorua. "You don't want to help us?"

"I do. And I am. If I return this mega stone to Harbinger, that's an extra ally who can use mega evolution."

"She has a point!" Faith looked round at Cleo. The Meowstic stared at her, her expression serious. "Just let her go."

Faith gave Harlequin one last glance and returned to Cleo's side. The Meowstic trudged over the snow, desperate to put as much distance between herself and that bush.

"Which way did Mischief go?" Harlequin called out.

"Why does it matter?"

"Because our paths might cross. If they do, I can help him find a poison to kill off that parasite."

Cleo faltered and flexed her paws at her side.

"It's not just for him either, it's for Enigma too. And all the other Pokemon that are suffering with it." Harlequin paused. The wind picked up, blowing through the leaves of the evergreen bush and rustling the bare branches of the trees. "That's why he left, isn't it? Not because of you. He's worried."  
Cleo clenched her fists and gave a curt nod. Yes, Harlequin was right.

"He went towards the mountains," she said flatly.

A heavy silence washed over them and she could feel Harlequin's blue eyes examining her as she stood staring away into the blank, white distance.

"Don't blame yourself," the Zorua said. "I'll try to help any way I can. We'll defeat Hydreigon and destroy that parasite."

"Harlequin..."

Cleo looked back at her, but the Zorua had already sped on. Her small, black form skipped away over the snow towards the mountains.

Spark slumped down in Cleo's fur. "And then there were three."

Cleo looked away from Harlequin's retreating form. A thick lump had risen in her throat. Their numbers were dropping dramatically. She hadn't known either of them very long, but they'd gone through a lot together in a short amount of time. Without Mischief's springy Whimsicott gait beside her, or Harlequin plodding along behind her, things just didn't feel the same.

She pushed herself on, trudging through the thick snow with Faith at her side. The small group walked in silence, moving up and down the seemingly endless hills, the mountains rising up on their right.

The sun wasn't visible in the sky, but its bright light shone through the white clouds with an almost blinding intensity and reflecting off the white snow, causing them to shield their eyes whenever it leaked through the mountain peaks.

A light snow continued to fall, dotting their fur with intricate flakes that melted no sooner had they landed. The entire landscape was filled with a melancholy air as the wind howled through the bare trees and echoed over the mountain tops. Not a single Pokemon lay in sight. The hills were empty. Cleo felt incredibly small and insignificant amongst the white snow beds.

Cleo didn't want to look back, but desperate to know how far they'd come she ventured a glance. Two sets of paw prints trailed back up the gentle slopes of the hills, vanishing down the other side. The bush was no longer in sight, hidden behind the many white-coated hilltops.

Faith shivered and rubbed her paws over her arms. "Are there any towns nearby?"

Cleo shrugged. "I've never been this far out." She hugged herself as a gust of wind blew over them and felt a small shudder on her shoulder. "We can take the next shelter we find and call it a night."

"I know the cold season has only just started," said Spark, "but I already can't wait for it to be over."

Faith laughed. "To be honest, I feel the same. It's much nicer when you're indoors, safe from the cold."  
They pressed on, pushing themselves up the slope of a large hill. As they reached the top, Faith looked back. She let out a small gasp and pointed.

"What's that?"

Cleo followed her paw. Moving down the slope towards them was a long trail of wagons visible through the falling snow. They appeared to be being pulled along by Pokemon, leaving long rivets in the snow behind them.

"It looks like a group of travelling Pokemon," said Cleo.

"Do you think they're friendly?" Spark asked.

Cleo shrugged. "I've no idea. But in this day and age, I'm apprehensive to find out. We'd be severely outnumbered."

"I doubt they're dark Pokemon," said Faith. She narrowed her eyes to squint through the snow. "Why would they be dragging wagons?"  
"They could easily be Heretics."

Spark snorted. "I can't be bothered messing with more Heretics. Shall we hide somewhere until they pass?"  
The wagons were now making their way up the hill towards them. Whether or not they'd spotted them, Cleo didn't know. She made to turn away and bolt down the hillside but something stopped her. She let out a gasp as the image on the side of one of the wagons flashed into view as it veered to the side to avoid a large rock.

A sun.

"They're Outcasts!"

"Friends?" Faith smiled.

"Possibly, but I've never heard of them trailing wagons."

Cleo scurried over the snow to meet the travelling Pokemon. She almost stumbled down the slope, startling the group to a halt.

A handful of Outcasts leapt from the carts to brace themselves for an attack but Cleo raised her paws and moved towards them slowly. As she approached the lead cart, the Tauros pulling it flashed his horns at her.

"Don't worry." She held out the badge on her bag strap. "I'm a Guild member."  
"Well I'll be!" An old Kecleon that had been leading the group grinned widely. "A psychic Pokemon!" He chuckled and leaned forward on his walking cane. "I thought you were all dead!"

Cleo shook her head. "Not all of us." She looked up at the wagons. Some of the Pokemon were climbing back on board. "What is this?"

"This is called survival," the Kecleon spoke bluntly. "We move on from point to point trying to escape detection from the Darkness. Stationary towns are too much of a risk these days, so we travel, taking our homes with us."  
"With the events we've experienced lately, that makes a lot of sense."

Cleo looked at the trail of wagons. They were all piled high with supplies hidden away under thick, grey sheets that were dotted with lumps of snow. The travelling did indeed make a lot of sense, but what struck her more was why she'd never heard of these Outcasts. If they moved constantly, they had no Guild HQ. That meant they were out of the loop. Whatever Guild warriors were with them, they weren't in contact with the main body any more.

That meant they also must have never heard of New City.

"Your staring is making me nervous." The Tauros lowered his head and swung his horns at Cleo, causing her to leap back. "Get out of the way so we can move."  
"Now, now, Rido." The Kecleon waved his cane at him. "You be nice." He turned back to Cleo. "Sorry about that. So you yourselves are Outcasts?" He looked from Cleo to Faith.

Faith shook her head. "Oh no, I'm not. I'm just helping Cleo. I'm from the Fairy Garden."

The Kecleon raised his eyebrows. "Fairy Garden? I have to say I've never heard of that in all my years!"  
"That's because she's _lying_!" roared the Tauros.

"Come off it!" The Kecleon rapped Rido on the ribs. "We'll be moving on soon enough, have some patience!"  
Rido looked away and snorted and flicked his three tails, his breath creating two puffs of steam in the cold air.

Faith's violet eyes misted over with sadness. "To be honest, a few days ago your response would surprise me, but... I'm actually getting used to Pokemon saying they've never heard of the Fairy Garden."

"Well!" The Kecleon grinned. "Hop on board and tell us all about it! I'm sure your tales would raise the spirits of some of the children on board. And adults too!"

"Really?" Faith clapped her paws together. "That would be wonderful! Thank you!"

"Come on, you two. Climb on!" The Kecleon stood aside to let them pass.

"Hey, grandpa." A Rampardos appeared on Rido's other side and stared down at the Kecleon. "There's three of 'em!"

"Oh?" The Kecleon stared at Cleo and Faith for a moment, looking from one to the other.

"He's right," Rido grunted. "On the Meowstic's shoulder."

"Hello!" Spark waved frantically.

"Oh!" The Kecleon's eyes finally found the Dedenne. "Oh my! Well, aren't you tiny!"

"Hey!"

Spark's whiskers crackled with electricity and the Kecleon laughed.

"Oh, I wouldn't fret, my dear! The best things come in small packages. Why, I myself am almost a foot smaller than I should be!"

Spark crossed her paws. "I like to think I'm useful!"

The Kecleon laughed and Faith chuckled.

"You are, Spark," said Faith. She turned back to the Kecleon. "I'm Faith. And these two are Cleo and Spark. What can we call you?"  
"Call me Old Red." The Kecleon grinned.

"But... you're green," said Spark.

He laughed again. "When I hatched, I was red! But as you can see, that changed with time."

Rido pawed the snow violently and snorted. "Hurry up! We've been stood around long enough!"  
"Go on." Old Red nudged Faith towards the wagon. "Take a seat."

Faith paused at the steps and looked back at the Kecleon. "Do you need a hand back on board?"  
"Oh no! I like to walk at the head. Extra pair of eyes."

Faith's eyes widened. "I won't allow it! You must need to rest, surely?"

Old Red laughed again. "I thank you for your concern, but really, I'm -"

"Oi! Grandpa!" The Rampardos looked down at him again. "Get on board!" He grinned. "I'll walk next to Rido and be your extra pair of eyes for a while."

Old Red flashed the Rampardos a smile. "Okay, Stompy. I can take a hint."

He moved over to the wagon and Faith stepped aside. At the sight of the old Kecleon trying to scramble onto the stairs with his cane, Cleo reached out a paw and placed it on his shoulder.

"Allow me."

The little Kecleon found himself engulfed in purple light. He let out a yell of surprise as Cleo lifted him from the ground and onto the wagon. Once set in place, he looked Cleo up and down and gave her a warm smile.

"Well, isn't that a handy talent?"

Cleo scrambled up beside him, followed closely by Faith.

Spark tutted. "I'd much rather she didn't do it while I was on her shoulder, if I'm honest!"

"Right, we're moving!" Rido roared. "Brace yourselves!"  
The wagon swayed as the Tauros began to move, dragging them the rest of the way up the hillside. Cleo took the opportunity to look around at the rest of the Outcasts on board. On their wagon were two Snivy children without a mother in sight, a Lopunny and a Heatmor. The wagon next to them had a Skiddo peering over the side at them and a Sawk. The wagons behind them were being pulled along by various Pokemon including a Gogoat who seemed unfazed by the snow and two Rapidash.

"I don't much care for the cold season," Old Red told them. "But it does make travelling a little safer, I think."

Cleo sat back and turned to face him. His face was warm and friendly and slightly wrinkled with age, especially around the eyes which creased when he smiled at them.

"I suppose because the Murkrow won't fly?" she asked.

Old Red nodded. "That and dragon type Pokemon also don't like the snow. The only ones that brave it are those it doesn't bother."

Cleo felt a chill run through her body. "Fire types..."  
"And ice types." Old Red looked over at the passing scenery. "But it does reduce the threat somewhat."  
Cleo barely registered what he said. Her mind was still fixed on the threat of the Wildfires. She glanced around at the wagon's occupants again. One of the fire Pokemon amongst them may well be the one they were looking for. She briefly caught the Heatmor's eye and looked away, trying to catch Faith's attention.

"So, my dear girl." Old Red leant forward, his paws clasped over his knees. "Do tell me about this place you call the Fairy Garden?"

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	46. A Mountain Scramble

**A/N - These chapters really do vary in size quite a bit.**

**Due to study commitments, 'What?! I'm a Pokemon?!' has been put on hold since I want to focus on this one. In November, I'm actually considering working on finishing The End with NaNoWriMo's 50k in 30 days challenge. I don't know if 50k is enough or too much, but either way I want to have this finished before December. We shall see!**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

46 – A Mountain Scramble

The wind tore through the mountains, howling and whipping up small blizzards as the snow fell intermittently, snatched up before it hit the ground and clinging to Harlequin's fur as he skipped over the rocky terrain.

The ground was steep, and snow covered the outcrops, clearly marking the flatter areas. Being fresh and untrodden, the snow wasn't covering a death-trap of ice. It didn't slow him down, paws landing in the soft surface and reaching for the next stable footing in a steady rhythm. The end to the slope was in sight. In a few more bounds, the mountain would level out, giving him a nice flat strip to walk along.

The odd stiff plant stuck out from the snow, and Harlequin dived over one to reach the solid platform it protruded from. Another kick and he was finally level, pausing to catch his breath as he looked around. Left was his chosen direction, keeping in pattern with keeping the Glen behind him. He lowered his head and pulled his ears back as another cold, snow-filled wind blew over him and died down, the air clearing enough for him to squint into.

He shot along the path like a bullet, occasionally glancing up at the solid rocks on his right. The mountain went higher, but that part was more difficult to scale. The land beneath him was still formed of rolling hills, now barely visible against the snowy background. From this height they almost resembled clouds.

After a few yards the path began to narrow and Harlequin was left with no choice but to scale the steep rocks. Here it was easier. It looked like a path had been formed many years ago by the mountain's inhabitants and the surface was dotted with thick, flat rocks that served as make-shift steps. It was impossible to see the state of them through the thick snow and Harlequin's paw slipped on one, his breath catching in his throat. He steadied himself and watched as the chosen rock slipped free, sliding until it landed two steps below. He shook his head sharply to gather himself and continued his climb, making an effort to be more cautious. Again the ground levelled out, revealing the mountain's peak.

The opposite side led down into a massive forest, the trees rising from the surface of the mountain until they joined the rest of the forest far below. The treetops were white but lower branches were filled with thick, green needle-like leaves.

Harlequin had no interest in going back down. He paused and looked around, his ears pricked. He steadied his breath and squinted into the horizon. Whatever he was looking for, it wasn't here.

He sped on, staying as central to the narrow path as he could. When his lungs were fit for bursting he came to a stop at a large, rocky outcrop. He stepped cautiously onto it, his breath coming in heavy bursts and misting in the cold air.

The ground below revealed yet more hills but cutting across it was a river, winding through the lumpy terrain and vanishing off into the horizon where it met the ocean. The Zorua stared out at it in silent fascination. The snow beneath his paws began to flow over the edge, trickling over the steep mountainside.

With a sound like crumbling soil, the ground gave way and Harlequin let out a yell as he plummeted to the ground below.

Claws grabbed his ruff and his body jerked to a stop. He looked up, fixing his blue eyes onto Enigma's crimson ones.

"Enigma!" the Zorua gasped out.

The Banette's look of concern melted into a relieved smile.

"I don't think you're quite cut out for mountain travel." Enigma perched on a stiff branch that jutted out of the rock. His right paw steadied him against the wall and he eyed the dangling Zorua for a moment while he assessed the situation. "I'm going to pull you up. If you grab this branch, we'll take it from there."

He waited for Harlequin to give a small nod before dragging him up with one paw. The branch seemed sturdy enough. He dug his claws into the wall, the sharp rocks cutting through his fur. Harlequin wasn't especially heavy, but it was no easy task in his current situation.

When the bough was in reach, the Zorua stretched out a paw and grabbed on. It wasn't until Harlequin had all four limbs secured on the branch that Enigma finally ventured to release his ruff. The Zorua sat with his eyes screwed shut, panting heavily, his entire body trembling from the shock. Enigma pressed his back up against the cold stone surface and let his paw rest on his knee, not taking his eyes off the shaken Pokemon.

"Okay." Enigma took a breath and glanced up at the wall behind him. It wasn't too high to solid ground, but he couldn't reach Harlequin from up there. "Do you think you can climb back up?"

Harlequin opened his eyes slowly and stared open-mouthed at the steep slope. Enigma could imagine that from his perspective, such a feat seemed virtually impossible right now.

"Listen, Harle. You can't stay on this branch. I don't know how long it will hold you for."

Harlequin nodded his understanding and took a deep, steadying breath. "Okay. I'll try."

Enigma flashed him a smile and warped himself up onto the platform above. He peered back down at Harlequin. The Zorua was slowly working his way across the narrow branch, placing one paw in front of the other and trying his best not to look down.

"There are some foot holds!" Enigma's voice strained over the sudden gust of wind that whipped across his face. "Stick to them!"  
Harlequin seemed to have heard him. His paws found the rocks that jutted out from the steep surface and he slowly scrambled his way back up.

The wind picked up with a merciless intensity, whipping at the two Pokemon with large, cold frozen flakes. The snow dotted Harlequin's dark fur and clung to his face. He blinked the snow from his lashes and his climbing became more frantic as he desperately tried to reach flat ground.

Enigma crouched down, reaching a paw down to the frightened Pokemon. This encouraged the Zorua. Finding each stable rock, he managed to come within arm's reach. Enigma grabbed his paw and hoisted him the rest of the way up.

Harlequin fell onto the snow and gasped, his breath forming thick clouds of vapour in the air. He rolled onto his side and looked back at the outcrop's edge.

"Thank you," he gasped out. He closed his eyes and his rib cage rose and fell as he desperately tried to catch his breath.

Enigma chuckled and ran a paw over his face, sinking to the floor. "You seem to be getting yourself into all kinds of scrapes recently."

Harlequin's body shook as he gave a small laugh.

Enigma fell to his haunches and leant back on his paws, letting out a huge sigh of relief. He tried to remember the last time his heart raced so much. Harlequin's life had practically flashed before his eyes. He looked back down at the Zorua. His blue eyes were now open, fixed on a blank spot somewhere back on the mountain path.

"What were you looking for?" Enigma asked.

Harlequin took a few more breaths before pushing himself up until he was sitting. "I'm looking for Harbinger."

"Harbinger?" Enigma frowned. "You mean that Absol? The one you thought was dead?"

"Yes. Xerneas told me he's alive, and to return his mega stone to him." Harlequin pawed at the stone hanging beneath the new scarf he was wearing.

"Mega stone?" Enigma stared at the strange orb.

"Yes. It's his... wait." Harlequin stared at him, his blue eyes wide. "_Thought_ was dead? What do you mean by that? Did you know he's alive?" His voice grew more frantic and he took a step towards Enigma.

"Calm down, Harle." Enigma raised a paw. "I only found out recently myself. I've not been keeping anything from you."

Harlequin sat down again and his eyes alone commanded Enigma to tell him more.

"I saw him two nights ago when it rained," Enigma explained. "It didn't take a genius to piece the parts together."

"Where?"

"Back by that little Outcast town near the Glen." The Banette nodded back down the mountain.

"Did you speak to him?"  
"Speak to him?! He had murder in his eyes!"  
Harlequin shook his head, a look of bewilderment on his face. If he was going to deny it and defend the Absol, he didn't. It must be obvious even to him that someone with Enigma's reputation would be wanted dead by the outlaws.

It was common knowledge. The outlaws hated the Darkness as much as the Outcasts did. Pokemon from the Shadow Lands weren't exactly going to be welcomed with open arms by either party.

"I think we should get off this rock." Enigma glanced at the edge of the outcrop and rose to his feet. "I'd feel a bit safer on lower land, if I'm honest."

"Then why are you even in the mountains?" Harlequin looked up at him as they moved back onto the mountain path.

Enigma crossed his paws behind his head. "I was trailing you."  
Harlequin snorted. "That should have been obvious. You're lonely."

Enigma closed his eyes and chuckled. He couldn't deny he'd missed this. He fixed one eye on the Zorua and grinned.

"No. I'm just bored."

...

Harbinger sat amongst the shade of the evergreen trees. The winter sun was venturing to poke its rays through the white clouds and the light reflected off the surface of the snow with a blinding intensity.

A river cut through the landscape, its icy surface shimmering in the dazzling light. The gurgling sound cut through the silence with an air of tranquillity.

Harbinger's eyes followed the watery trail, noting that it vanished round a bend, feeding a nearby Outcast village that decided to make its home in the mountain valley. Not a bad choice. Sure, dark Pokemon patrolled everywhere, but a valley wasn't on flat land. It could easily hide a little village, and the Pokemon inside it would have enough sentry points high up to alert the rest of the village to surprise attacks. The village wasn't small, but like every other Outcast town it had a building for the Guild.

The land leading up to the village was a former habitat for Pokemon before the Darkness took over. Little caves, nests amongst the trees, burrows along the river bank... it had them all. And each and every one was empty. Save for a spot a mile upstream. It was rumoured that a poison Pokemon lived in the vicinity. One that had clearly refused to abandon his home, preferring to live alone.

He looked back at Scratch and Claw. The two Pawniard were examining the trunk of one of the trees, scraping at a sticky substance Harbinger had found too hazardous to get on his paws.

"Is it what I think it is?" he asked them.

"Hmm." Scratch turned his blade in the light, his large eyes focused on the residue that clung to the steel surface. "Yes. It's poison."

"What kind of poison?"  
"Hard to say." The Pawniard wiped it off in the snow, leaving behind a pinkish hue. "But given the rumours I'd say your suspicions are correct."

"Perfect. It shouldn't be too hard to track." Harbinger's lips turned up into a half smile and he looked back up at the mountains. "I've waited too long for this."

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	47. Fire Island

**A/N - I don't have much to say today. I hope this chapter pleases!**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

47 – Fire Island

The little wagons rattled to a stop, letting the various Pokemon climb down onto the soft snow. Cleo followed the Heatmor down off the wagon and joined the other Pokemon who were rushing to put up tents.

"How are you managing this?" she asked Old Red. "There are no suitable trees to hold up the sheets."

"Oh, we don't need trees!" Old Red leant on his walking cane and smiled at her. "Watch and learn, my dear girl."

Cleo turned to watch the group of Pokemon as they threaded long, slender sticks of wood through loops in the light green sheets, each one going from corner to corner. These sticks were stuck in the ground, holding the fabric up so it looked like a tiny hill. A single split ran up the sheet, not quite reaching the top of the arc, providing an entrance.

"Wow." Spark stood open-mouthed. "How come we never thought of that?"  
Old Red chuckled. "It's a simple but effective way of building a tent."

"Is there any way we can help?" Cleo asked him.

Old Red shook his head. "All the duties are covered. You just relax."

"Nonsense. We need to repay your kindness somehow." Cleo reached into her bag but the old Kecleon's wrinkled paw stopped her.

"It's okay." He grinned. "You don't owe us anything. Just stay, relax. It's a blessing to have warriors stay with us, especially ones from the Fairy Garden." He turned his grin on Faith and the Mawile beamed.

"It's a blessing to be staying with such warm and welcoming Pokemon like yourself!" she said.

Old Red chuckled. "Why thank you, Faith. Why don't all of you take a seat?"

The travelling Outcasts were huddling together around the little tents. The two Rapidash had spaced themselves out to offer their heat as much as they could.

"Don't get too close," the Gogoat instructed the little Skiddo, "perchance your leaves get burned off."  
The Rapidash duo laughed and shook their fiery manes, but the Skiddo fixed them both with a pair of frightened eyes, deciding instead to sleep beside his mother.

"Our flames won't burn you," the younger Rapidash told him. "We have more control over them than you'd think."

"Oh good!" Spark approached the speaker, a berry in her paws. "Can I sit on you then?"  
The Rapidash laughed and shook her head, nodding to a spot by her hoof.

Cleo and Faith joined the Dedenne, finding a spot of green grass amongst the snow. The fire Pokemon's bodies had melted it away, providing a warmer surface for their friends. Many curious eyes remained fixed on the small group as they tucked into their meals, holding within them many unasked questions.

"This seems a little strange," Spark whispered to Cleo. "I mean... what do we do? Entertain them?"  
"This evening is a splendid one!" Old Red's voice cut through them, drawing all attention to himself. "We have a small travelling party with us today, as I am sure you are all clearly aware. And wow, do they have some stories to tell us!"  
"We already heard a few," said the Heatmor, a tongue of flames flicking from his mouth.

"Yes, but those in other wagons did not." Old Red flashed him a smile.

"Well, I'd request something new then." The Heatmor crossed his arms behind his head and leant back against a rock. "Then you can tell the other ones later?"

"That's a good idea!" Old Red turned to look at the small group. "Have you any other stories? Like... what brings you all this way?"

"Oh that." Spark took a huge bite out of her berry. "We're looking for a fire Pokemon."

"A fire Pokemon?" Old Red looked around at his group of travelling Outcasts and the Rapidash next to Cleo shifted uncomfortably. "We have a few amongst us, don't we?"  
"Oh it can't just be any," said Faith. "You see, Xerneas has sent us to look for a fire Pokemon that can take out the Wildfires."

Gasps and other exclamations shot through the Outcasts and a few of the Pokemon began talking loudly amongst themselves. A couple even ventured towards the tents.

"Oh don't be like that!" Old Red clapped his paws together, the sharp noise bringing the group to rest. "They're not asking us to fight the Wildfires. Are you?" He turned his eyes onto Faith.

"Oh no, not at all." Faith shook her head. "We've been told we'll know the Pokemon when we find them."

"A likely story!" Rido, who had been silent for quite some time, snorted with disgust. "I told you not to blindly trust others, gramps. Now these Pokemon want us to fight their battles!"  
"We don't!" Cleo snapped.

The Tauros leered at her and lowered his head onto his hooves.

"We're looking for one fire Pokemon," she explained. "One. And we'll know him when we find him."

"Amongst snow?" The Heatmor stared at her. "You're fortunate enough to find three. What are you searching here for?"

"We're heading to the desert," said Faith. "But... it's a long way off."  
"I was about to say!" Old Red laughed. "That's quite a walk!"  
"You don't want the desert," said the Heatmor. "That's full of ground types. You want Fire Island."  
Spark swallowed her mouthful. "Fire Island?"

The Heatmor grunted and closed his eyes. "Yeah. My father's grandfather is from Fire Island. It's a land filled with fire warriors lead by a Pokemon called Tyrix."

"Your father's grandfather?" Spark crinkled her nose. "How old is this Tyrix going to be?"

"He's probably passed the torch by now," the Heatmor explained. "If I were looking for a fire Pokemon, I'd try Fire Island first."

The two Rapidash nodded, their manes flickering in the darkness.

Spark looked up at Cleo. "Isn't that the place Mulch told us about?"

"Yes." Cleo pulled out her map and stared at it, searching the outer borders of the region. There were three smaller islands in the sea, one of which was made of ice. The smallest one had the words 'wasteland' scrawled across it. She knew that wouldn't be the place, that was Skipper's former home. "I'd never heard of the place before. It's not marked on my map."

"That's no surprise," said Old Red. "Their legend has gone to dust over the years."

Cleo felt her heart sink and she looked up at him. "Gone to dust?"

"Yes." The old Kecleon's voice had a melancholy note to it and he fumbled with the top of his cane. "The fire warriors were quite the force many moons ago. Before either of you were born! But after a while, news from their parts just faded away. Rumour has it they decided to keep themselves to themselves."

"As for others," said the Heatmor, "they migrated to the main land."

"Like your father's grandfather," said Faith.

The Heatmor nodded. "Exactly."

Cleo looked down at her map again. If that lone, unnamed island was the one they were aiming for, it was even more of a trek than the desert. If the rumours were true, then they might not receive the warmest of welcomes from the fire Pokemon.

...

Cleo emerged from her tent and stretched. The sky was empty of snow, and the sun stretched its rays down through the clouds, oddly warm in the bitter cold air. The light reflected off the snow-covered ground with a dazzling intensity and she shielded her eyes, blinking until they adjusted from the dark of sleep.

"Oh, wow." Spark's voice rose up from near Cleo's feet and the Dedenne rubbed her eyes. "It's enough to give one snow blindness."  
"Good morning!" Old Red caught Cleo's eye, waving at them from beside a Rapidash and the Heatmor. "Glad to see you're up! Come and join us for some breakfast."

"Ooh!" Spark hopped from foot to foot. "You don't have to ask me twice!" She scurried over to them and huddled up beside the Rapidash.

Cleo felt someone take her paw and she looked round at Faith's smiling face.

"I don't know about you but I'm starving!"

Cleo returned the Mawile's smile and followed her to the little gathering of Outcasts. A lot of the Pokemon seemed to still be asleep, so there were only a handful of them. When they reached Old Red, they spotted Rido lurking beside one of the tents, tucking in to a pile of berries and hay.

"Here, let me clear you a seat," said the Heatmor. A long tongue of fire flicked out of his mouth and melted the snow away beside him.

"Thank you!" Faith clapped her paws.

The Heatmor blushed and waved a paw at her.

Cleo flopped down beside Faith and did a double take as something a few yards away caught her eye.

"Wow, there must have been a wind last night," she said. "The snow's piled up over there."

The other Pokemon followed her gaze to a mound of white almost hidden against the hill behind it.

Faith's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "Cleo, that's not snow!"

The Mawile leapt to her feet, abandoning her meal as she rushed over to inspect the mound. Cleo stood up and watched her briefly before rushing to join her. When she reached the Mawile, Old Red and the Heatmor stopped beside her.

What at first glance had seemed like a snowdrift was in fact a body covered in white fur and feathers. A large mammalian head rested upon two claws attached to heavily feathered forelegs. The massive body rose and fell steadily as the large Pokemon remained in a deep sleep. Clouds of steam left his nostrils with each deep breath.

"Reshiram?" Cleo gasped.

"Yes..." Faith scratched her head. "What's he doing way out here?"

The Heatmor pointed and stared aghast at Cleo and Faith. "You know this dragon?"

"He's from the Fairy Garden," Faith explained. "He's a friend. What I don't understand is why he's voluntarily sleeping in the freezing cold!"

"Then we should ask him!" said Old Red. He raised his walking cane and poked Reshiram square in the nose. "Hey, old boy! Rise and shine!"

The Heatmor swatted at Old Red's paw. "Don't do that! What if he attacks us?"  
"He'd never do that!" Faith gasped. "Trust me, he's a friend!" She crouched down beside the feathered dragon and placed a paw on his shoulder. "Reshiram! Are you all right?"

The large dragon crinkled his nose and sniffed a couple of times. His blue eyes flickered open and fixed on Faith, then he closed them again and opened his massive mouth in a yawn, startling the Heatmor to hide behind the old Kecleon. Reshiram licked his lips and pushed himself up with his wing claws.

"Well well!" he boomed. "You're awake!"  
"And so are you!" Old Red called up to him. "Faith here assures us you're a friend?"

Reshiram laughed and looked down at the Mawile. "Of course I'm a friend! I hope you don't mind me crashing your camp like this? When I arrived, you were all asleep and I hadn't the heart to wake you."

"Not at all! Any friend of theirs is a friend of ours!" Old Red waved from Cleo to the camp site. "Besides, with you sleeping out here none of the Darkness' assassins would have been any threat to us! For that, I'm grateful!"

Reshiram laughed. "You're welcome, friend. Now, I-" He looked over Old Red's shoulder and his surprised expression caused Cleo to follow his gaze. The rest of the Outcasts were now awake, huddled together and watching the white dragon with looks of fear and uncertainty.

"Oh!" Old Red laughed. "Don't mind that lot. I'm sure they'll relax when they see you're no threat, old boy!"  
"I'll take your word for it," said Reshiram. "I'm not used to this reaction. I don't usually leave the Fairy Garden, you see."

"That's my point!" said Faith. "What on earth are you doing here?"

Reshiram turned his blue eyes onto Faith and Cleo. "I'm here to help you."

"Help us?" Spark poked her head out of Cleo's fur. The Meowstic was a little taken aback as she'd not even noticed the Dedenne return to her shoulder. "Help us with what?"  
"To reach your next destination, of course!" Reshiram laughed. He spread his massive wings. "I thought you'd appreciate a lift?"

"A lift?" Spark's large eyes widened. "We're flying?"  
Reshiram grinned. "Faster and warmer!" His tail flared up with an orange light, melting the snow behind him, then slowly returned to its former white colour.

"Ooh!" Spark grinned. "Toasty!"  
Old Red smiled warmly at the dragon. "If you'd like to join us for a little breakfast before you leave, I would be honoured to have you with us?"

Reshiram returned his smile. "And I'd be honoured to dine with you. That is... if you really don't mind? I mean... I am larger than all of you."

Old Red laughed. "Your size isn't a problem, I assure you."

The old Kecleon led them back to the camp site and Reshiram walked slowly behind them.

The other Outcasts moved backwards nervously and many of them retreated back into their tents. Old Red tapped his cane on a large rock and spoke loudly.

"Come on, all of you. Reshiram is a friend, he's not going to harm any of us."  
Several heads poked out of their tents and eyed the large dragon.

"Really?" a Rapidash asked.

Rido snorted and pawed the snow. "A likely story! He's a dragon!"  
"A friendly dragon," said Faith. "From the Fairy Garden."

Rido snorted and large puffs of steam rose into the air. "Then why didn't you mention him in any of your stories?"

Faith shook her head and stared aghast at the Tauros.

Reshiram placed a claw on her head and looked down at the other Pokemon. "The answer is simple. The stories aren't about me."

Rido snorted again and lay down, returning to his breakfast of hay and berries.

"So, old boy!" Old Red sat down and tapped the ground next to him. "How did you happen upon the Fairy Garden?"

Reshiram sat down carefully and took the oran berry the Kecleon offered to him.

"I was in search of truth," he explained. "When I found the Fairy Garden, it was overwhelming how welcoming everyone was. I have to admit, I was a little frightened. But I settled in there and now I help to train Xerneas' warriors to battle in the war against Darkness." He smiled at Cleo and Spark. "These two had some training fairly recently! How are you getting on?"  
"It's been helpful," said Cleo. "We recently fell under attack twice from the Murkrow. Ordinarily I wouldn't be able to do anything, but now..."

Reshiram grinned at her. "Now you don't have to fear the type advantage."

"Hey mum! Mum, look!" The little Skiddo stood up to his neck in snow. "I can fit in one of his paw prints!"

"Yes!" the Gogoat exclaimed. "He has very large feet!"  
Reshiram laughed at the Skiddo's look of surprise. "I am also very careful with my very large feet."

The Skiddo grinned and skipped around in circles.

The other Outcasts gathered around them, much more relaxed after hearing Reshiram's story. They enjoyed breakfast in each other's company and soon it was time to take down the tents and pack up the carts.

Cleo, Faith and Spark helped to load their supplies back onto the wagons and Reshiram assisted the fire Pokemon in melting away the snow that had piled up around the wheels. Once the Outcasts were ready to go, Old Red turned to address Cleo.

"When you next see your Guild leader, I want you to tell him an old Kecleon is very impressed with the work they do." He gave them a warm smile. "I want to give you this for your kindness and company."

Cleo took the small package from Old Red and opened it. Inside was a tent complete with collapsible poles.

"Are you sure?" she asked him.

"Positive!" he laughed. "That old sheet you have has its limits, but with that you can set it up anywhere. I know you'll put it to good use."

"Thank you." Cleo gave him a smile. "You're very kind. All of you have been such great company."

"Yaw!" Spark sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I don't like goodbyes."

"This isn't a goodbye," said Old Red. "We're going to try and find that Fairy Garden we've heard so much about!"  
"Really?" Faith clapped her paws together and moved over to him. "Oh that's great!"

"Endless Woods, am I right?" Old Red chuckled. "Hopefully we won't get too lost in there."

"You'll be fine," said Faith. "Just ignore the enchantment. Whatever it tells you. Anyone seeking solitude can find the Fairy Garden." She took Old Red's wrinkled paw and gave it a soft squeeze. "We'll see you again."  
"You certainly shall!" He gave them a wave and rejoined the Outcasts. Climbing on to a wagon, he called out to the Pokemon steering them. "Today, we back track. Make haste for Endless Woods!"  
The wagons turned around and moved back down the hills, away from Cleo and her friends.

"I like that old Kecleon." Reshiram chuckled. "I look forward to seeing him again."  
Cleo nodded. "Me too."

The white dragon looked down at her and inclined his head on one side. "Weren't there five of you? Where are Mischief and Harlequin?"

Cleo felt her body lock up and she glanced away from Reshiram. Words failed her and she ran a paw over her eyes, turning her back on the dragon.

"Oh dear," said Reshiram. "Did something happen?"

"Erm." Spark shifted in Cleo's fur and turned to face him. "Mischief... ran away. As for Harlequin, she's gone to look for that Absol to return his mega stone."

"Oh." Reshiram was silent for a moment as he took this in. "Do you want to take a detour to find Mischief?"

"He doesn't want us to look for him." Cleo took a steadying breath and turned back to him. "He's gone to look for a cure for his illness. For now, let's just go to Fire Island."

Reshiram stared at her for a moment then gave a firm nod. "Okay. Climb on."

He lowered his torso to the ground, his fore-claws digging into the soft snow. Faith scrambled up onto his back and offered a paw to Cleo. The Meowstic sat behind her with Spark huddling into her neck fur.

Reshiram turned his head to look back at them and flashed them a sideways grin. "Hold on! It might take us a day or two to get there."

He rose up and flapped his wings, rising steadily into the air. His tail erupted behind him and he shot through the sky, the velocity pushing them backwards in their seats. Cleo gripped tightly to Faith and the Mawile gave her a warm smile.

"I guess you've never done this before!" she called out over the wind.

"No!"

Faith laughed. "Me neither!" She gripped the feathers around the dragon's neck firmly and peered out at the world below."It's magnificent!"  
The trees looked tiny beneath them, and the river seemed to be nothing more than a silvery thread across the white landscape. The stony mountains rose up from amongst it, the green of the trees poking up from the mottled surface. Cleo's breath was taken away by the beauty of it all.

As Reshiram rose further into the air, the world grew smaller and smaller beneath them until their heads almost touched the clouds. His wings levelled out and the wind whipped past their ears as he glided effortlessly through the air, leaving the snowy hills behind him.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	48. Toxic Nightmare

**A/N - Thanks so much to all reviews, faves and follows! =D One of my reviewers - Jusmove - had a very good point. I happened to overlook a reason as to why Reshiram suddenly appeared to give Cleo and friends a lift. Rather than re-submit that chapter and have you all read it again, I've added an explanation the next time Reshiram appears. Just a heads up that it is explained, and hopefully doesn't seem out of place.**

**As for supplementary chapters, when this fanfic comes towards an end (maybe in another 20 chapters or so when enough information is revealed) I shall be uploading one-shots (which I believe I've mentioned before) and I do like the idea of a chapter about Reshiram being sent out to help them. Thanks for the suggestion! You rock! =D **

**A lot of characters will be getting their own side stories and history explained in the one shots, including Grey (the Alakazam in New City) which I was thinking about only earlier on today. If there are any more you want to see, please feel free to suggest them! =D**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters! **

48 – Toxic Nightmare

Frost clung to Yurlik's black feathers, biting through to his flesh with the cold intensity of a Sneasel's claws. The Murkrow flock lagged behind him, their numbers dropping as the birds dropped from the sky with exhaustion and frost bite.

The castle was now in sight, dark against the red of the sunset, renewing the Honchkrow's vigour to reach it. With a final burst of strength, he shot forwards through the sky and brought his wings to a halt as a cold gust of wind shocked his body. With a crash, he struck the floor. The gathered Deino were roused into an uproar and they stampeded away from the large Honchkrow, crashing into other Pokemon, rocks, trees and buildings as they fled across the Shadow Lands.

Yurlik dragged himself to his feet and fixed his red eyes on the castle door. With his failing strength it seemed miles away. He clicked his beak in frustration and slumped over to it, climbing the immense flight of stairs. Once he reached the top, he struck the door with his beak.

As it opened, the face of a Scrafty leered out at him.

"Oh it's you." The Scrafty snorted and threw the door open. He scanned his eyes up and down the bird's bedraggled body. "I doubt he's going to be very impressed to see you."

Yurlik shoved the Scrafty aside with his wing, the chill causing the fighting Pokemon to let out a shrill yell.

"What did you do? Fly through a blizzard?" The Scrafty beat his arm down to remove the residual frost from his fur.

"One might think." Yurlik's voice came out fierce despite his weak condition.

His claws left a wet trail as he strutted over the tile floor. Once he reached the throne room, he narrowed his eyes at the Scrafty and folded his wings firmly to his side.

The Scrafty muttered something under his breath and threw the doors open.

"Yurlik's back!" he barked into the room.

A deep rumble shook both Pokemon and the Scrafty took two steps back, giving the Honchkrow a warning glance.

"All yours, pal!" He smacked Yurlik on the shoulder and marched back towards the main door.

Yurlik strode cautiously into the room and gave the large shadow a small glance before clearing his throat.

"I... come with some bad news, my lord."

"Bad news?" Hydreigon growled, causing Yurlik to take a step back. "I don't want _bad_ news, Yurlik!"  
"Well... unfortunately that's the case." Yurlik shifted his weight on his talons and glanced back at the door. It was still open. He had time to back out if need be. "It concerns Harlequin and Enigma."  
"What about them? Are they dead too?"  
"No... not dead." Yurlik paused as he racked his brain for some way to break this news that might only cost him a couple of tail feathers. Despite how much he'd thought this over during his flight back, he couldn't think up any way to word it that made it sound remotely better than it actually was. "They have both... left us, my lord."  
"Left us?" Hydreigon raised his large head and fixed Yurlik with an intimidating leer. "What do you mean 'left us'?!"  
Yurlik gulped. "It's... exactly as it sounds, my lord. They've gone. They aren't coming back."

"What you mean to say," Hydreigon's voice came out so calmly it sent a chill through Yurlik's bones, "is that they've become... rebels?"  
"P... precisely, my lord."  
"Outlaws?"

"Well... Harlequin has joined the Outcasts. As for Enigma-"

"The Outcasts?!" Yurlik was blown back slightly from the dragon's voice. "The ones he was sent to kill?!"

"Y-yes."

"And what of Enigma? Has he joined them too?"

"All I know is he's not coming back, my lord."  
Hydreigon rubbed his left head beneath his chin. "So that is what? Four of my aces. Gone."

Yurlik shuffled his feet on the floor. "I'm sorry, my lord."

The dragon laughed.

Yurlik took a step back towards the door, keeping one eye on the massive Pokemon.

"Fine! Send them out!"  
"You... want me to send _them_?" Yurlik clicked his beak nervously, glancing left and right. "You no longer want them alive?"

"No." Hydreigon leant his head on one limb. "I'm bored of this now. Send out the Wildfires."

Yurlik nodded and muttered his reply, slinking from the room. The door barely made a noise as he closed it behind him. He turned and almost walked smack into the Scrafty.

"Wildfires eh?" He snorted laughter and leant back against the wall. "Careful they don't roast _you_ first!"  
Yurlik snorted and ruffled his feathers. If he wasn't so tired, that Scrafty would be getting a firm telling off. He marched from the castle and paused at the foot of the steps, his eyes going automatically to a derelict building.

That's where they resided. Sheltered by an old, burned out library. The pack of vicious dogs had taken over it after the Mighteyena who formally lived there relinquished it.

Yurlik flapped his wings and within an instant he reached the library. The head of a Houndoom looked up at the sound of his wing beats as he landed just outside the gaping doorway.

"Howlinger." Yurlik took in a steadying breath. "You're up next. Find them Outcasts."

The Houndoom flashed his sharp, white teeth in a grin. A loud howl split the air and in an instant, the pack of dogs rushed from the door, causing Yurlik to leap aside with a yell. He watched warily as Howlinger led the Wildfires across the Shadow Lands.

When the Houndoom was out of earshot, the Honchkrow snorted. "I'll deal with those two rebels myself..." He flapped his wings and took off into the air, the cold wind penetrating his already freezing body.

Howls resounded throughout the Border Woods as the Wildfires ripped through them, their eerie cries ringing out a warning to nearby Pokemon, leaving a smoke-trail as they demolished any obstacle in their path.

...

"Going down a mountain is more difficult than going up it." Harlequin faltered as a small rock tumbled from beneath his paw.

Enigma warped into view, landing a couple of feet ahead of him. He looked back at the Zorua and smiled.

"It's only harder if you don't know where to put your feet."  
"Easy for you to say!" Harlequin frowned. "You can warp your way down!"

The Banette chuckled, his bell echoing through the mountain air. "You might want to keep your voice down, Harle, or you might cause a landslide."

Harlequin closed his mouth and looked down at his paws, watching every step he took carefully. Before long, he was standing on the spot Enigma had previously occupied while the Banette was perched on a small outcrop several feet ahead of him.

"You know," Harlequin began, "if you keep rushing me, you'll end up having to save my life again."

Enigma folded his paws behind his head. "Sorry, Harle, I'm not exactly in the life saving business. You were just fortunate I was able to catch you last time."

Harlequin laughed and hopped over some steady rocks. Enigma watched him curiously, his eyes locked on the Zorua's nimble paws as he climbed down towards him.

"I think you enjoyed it," Harlequin told him.

Enigma looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. "Enjoyed it?"

"Yeah." Harlequin came to a stop beside him. "I think you enjoyed the fact you were actually able to save someone."  
Enigma's smile turned into a frown and Harlequin's expression dropped. The Zorua raised a paw to take a step back and Enigma was suddenly aware he was glaring. He looked up, turned his attention to the evergreens ahead of them and sighed.

"If only I was able to save everyone."

He warped on ahead a couple of feet and Harlequin struggled to keep up with him.

"I'm sorry, Enigma. I worded that badly."

"Don't worry about it, Harle. _I'm_ not."

Enigma took the silence that followed to mean Harlequin was worrying about it but choosing not to say anything more. He shrugged this off and continued to warp down the mountain, waiting at intervals for the Zorua to catch up.

They were soon amongst the pine trees, and the ground here was much more friendly to their feet and easier to walk on, albeit still rocky in parts. The canopy provided shelter from the falling snow, which lay in spatters here and there where it had managed to fall between the trees. There were no paths through them, but they acted as a barrier against rock slides. The rocks which had tried to crash their way through the forest were either stopped by the slender yet sturdy trunks or wedged between trees which grew closely together. A couple on the edge were straining backwards as they held back large boulders, resting against the trunks of those which grew close behind them.

Enigma looked up into the canopy, briefly considering taking to the branches. The trees had incredibly long trunks and doing so would raise him straight off the floor, making conversation with Harlequin near impossible. He shrugged to himself and resigned to walking along the cold, damp soil.

"It's sad to see there's no Pokemon living in this forest."

Enigma glanced down at Harlequin. The Zorua was looking up at the trees, his face sombre.

He looked away and closed his eyes. "They no longer want to live in the trees or in nests, and who can blame them really?"

"It's our fault," said Harlequin. "We helped with all this."  
"And now we're helping to put it right."

Harlequin looked up at him. "We?"

Enigma shrugged. "There's no saying Pokemon are going to go back to living in trees after all this, they might decide to stay behind walls. But at least they'll spread out again, rather than congesting into little towns and villages."

Harlequin didn't poke him about skirting around his question. Instead he turned his blue eyes onto the path ahead of them.

"I wonder where Harbinger is hiding? I thought I might find him in the mountains."

"Who says he's hiding?"  
Harlequin gave him a glance. "No one."  
"Exactly. If he's moving around then our paths aren't likely to cross, are they?"  
Harlequin closed his eyes and sighed. "You're right. But I'm not going to stop trying."

Enigma grinned. "Then get your tail in gear, I'm not out for an endless stroll."

"You're right. Besides, it's getting dark."

"Since when were you diurnal?"

Harlequin snorted. "If you want to chance an encounter with the Darkness, that's your call. I'd rather shelter and stay out of trouble."  
Enigma held up his paws. "Fine, fine. We'll look for somewhere to hide."

They continued on through the woods, their conversation turning to pointless banter. The ground began to level out and the gurgle of a nearby river could be heard nearby.

Harlequin came to an abrupt halt, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air.

"Can you smell that?" His nose crinkled.

Enigma lowered his paws to his sides and gave the air a quick sniff before shaking his head. "No. Why?"

"It's poison." Harlequin turned, his nose going to the trunk of a tree. His body froze as his blue eyes locked on a streak of deep pink smeared up the bark. "There's a poison Pokemon living around here!"  
"Really?" Enigma joined his side, eyeing the deep crevices gouged into the tree's trunk. "I'm guessing one with claws?"  
"Or spikes." Harlequin looked at him, his expression grave. "This is a Nidoking's poison. They mark their territory by rubbing their spikes against cliff faces and trees – whatever they're living near. It's a warning to other Nidoking that one has already claimed the area, and also to other Pokemon to stay away."

Enigma chuckled. "So they don't like company?"

Harlequin frowned. "No." He moved past the Banette and continued through the forest.

Enigma watched him for a moment before warping to catch up with him. "You're not considering popping in for a visit are you? I know you like your poisons."

Harlequin laughed. "No. No, I'm not."

"Oh good. Because I don't quite fancy it myself."

The land opened out before them, revealing a clear river shimmering in the moonlight. It followed the valley around the side of the mountain. One of the trees had been cut down and thrown across the river to serve as a crossing for Pokemon to reach the other side. A thick layer of moss made its home on one side and the bottom reflected the light off the water as it passed under it. Trickles of snow were washed away down the river as a light wind stirred it up to fall off the top of the tree's broad trunk. Enigma could make out a couple of caves in the solid rock of the mountain and he skipped on ahead, his bell chiming loudly behind him.

"I think I found you a place to nap, Harle." He vanished into the cave and gave a drawn-out whistle. "It's bigger in here than it seems."

Harlequin's head appeared in the opening and he looked around quickly before joining Enigma.

"I wonder who this once housed?"  
Enigma shrugged. "By the size of it, I'd say an Ursaring or something similar." He folded his paws behind his head and leant back against the wall. "You get some sleep, I'll keep an eye open."  
Harlequin curled up near him and yawned. "Are you sure you don't want to get some sleep yourself?"

Enigma closed his eyes and chuckled. "You know sleep doesn't come easily to me."

Harlequin yawned again. "I know. The dark rings around your eyes say that much."  
Enigma flashed him a grin and turned his attention to the cave opening. The presence of a Nidoking had unnerved him, but the only sounds he could hear were the gurgling of the river and Harlequin's steady breathing.

...

Harbinger sat on the opposite bank of the river, hidden amongst the shadows cast by the massive evergreens. Those two Pokemon hadn't long since found that cave... his nose crinkled as his mouth turned up into a sneer. He snatched his eyes away from the cave and followed the river upstream to join Scratch and Claw. Surely they should be finished with their task by now?

He choked back a laugh and looked round at the cave once more. As soon as the first rays of the sun penetrated the darkness of that cave, his revenge plan would be complete.

...

Light flooded the small cave, chasing away the shadows and marking the start of a bright day.

Enigma's eyes snapped open as Harlequin yawned. The Zorua stretched out his body and gave Enigma a small smile.

"Did you sleep well?" Enigma asked.

"Like a log." Harlequin shook his head sharply to straighten his fur. "I'm guessing you didn't sleep at all?"

Enigma shook his head. "If I did, I don't remember it."

Harlequin stared off in thought and licked his lips. "Do you want some breakfast?"

Enigma thought about this for a moment then nodded. "Actually, yes."

Harlequin laughed. "All right then, let me get freshened up quickly. I have some supplies in my bag. It might be nice to eat outside, since the weather looks good."  
Enigma watched Harlequin as he made his way outside. The sky was clear, the sun's rays reflecting with a dazzling intensity off the snow. Harlequin flinched back and blinked his blue eyes several times until they adjusted to the new light. Once he'd vanished outside, Enigma ran a paw over his eyes and sighed.

He still needed to explain to Harlequin what had happened to him. He couldn't very well travel with him and not mention he was now infected with Pokerus. That at any moment he could snap and attack him like that Whimsicott.

The thought tied knots in his stomach and he found himself rapidly losing his appetite.

No... he needed to tell him.

He gave another glance to the cave mouth and closed his eyes again. Now was as good a time as any. He stretched his arms out to the sides, his back and shoulders popping, then rose to his feet, placing a paw against the wall to steady himself as a mild wave of dizziness threw him off balance.

"Enigma!"

Harlequin's strangled voice rang through the cave.

Enigma's eyes snapped wide open and in an instant he was outside.

Harlequin was lay sprawled in the snow, his eyes wide with terror and his breathing heavy as his rib cage rose and fell rapidly.

"Harle! What happened?" Enigma crouched at his side.

Harlequin didn't answer. His frantic eyes were fixed on something in the river and he stretched out a paw to direct him. Enigma looked behind him. Just beyond the fallen tree was a horrific mass, its giant spikes sticking out from a frame of violet battle armour.

A Nidoking.

Enigma's eyes went to the water. Flowing beneath the tree's slick trunk was a pool of blood, mixed in with a sticky pink substance which faded into nothing as it flowed away from the Pokemon's body.

He looked back down at Harlequin, his mind scrambling through every worse-case scenario. "Did you drink it? Tell me you-"

His words came to a halt as he ran a claw beneath the Zorua's wet chin. His heart did a flip in his chest and he grabbed Harlequin's bag.

"I don't have one."

Enigma looked back down at him. Was he serious? He didn't have an antidote?

Harlequin closed his eyes and tears streaked a trail down the fur of his cheek.

"No..." Enigma placed a paw on his shoulder. "You can't leave me." No sooner had the words left his mouth, his heart began to race and his breaths came in erratic bursts. He closed his eyes as tears filled them and his claws wound into the Zorua's thick fur. "Don't leave me all alone!"  
Harlequin's warm paw closed over his and Enigma opened his eyes. Harlequin still had his closed, but his breathing was still heavy. He flinched as a wave of despair washed over him. He was powerless, he couldn't do anything. No... he had to do something... he couldn't just leave him. He looked up and down the river then stood up.

"I won't lose you." He scooped the Zorua into his arms and held him to his chest. He was almost weightless, most of his mass being a shaggy coat of fur over a slight frame. "I promise... I'm going to find you help!"

Enigma raced along the river bed, following it through the valley.

The poison was being washed somewhere. There was a target for it somewhere along this river, there must be. If there was, they might be able to help.

If they were still alive...

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	49. A Village of Petals

**A/N - I thought this chapter was longer...**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

49 – A Village of Petals

Flakes of snow were starting to gently fall again, joining the blanket that coated the grass and leaves of the softly swaying trees. The flakes that were unfortunate enough to land in the fast current of the river were melted away to nothing in an instant as they were washed downstream. The roar of the river cut through the tranquillity of the scene in its frantic attempt to join the lake.

Enigma raced alongside it, Harlequin clutched in his arms, his eyes on the distance, desperate to find somewhere – a village, a house, even an occupied nest – anywhere so long as there was someone who could help.

He followed the bend around the mountain side, the path narrowing dramatically for several feet. Enigma muttered under his breath as he had to slow to avoid losing his balance and plunging the both of them into the river's icy water. Once the path had widened out again, he broke into a sprint.

Something caught his eye and he faltered for a moment. Something poking out of the snow. Little shoots dotted with pink and blue flowers grew in a trail alongside what looked like hoof-prints. They followed the river until they vanished around the side of a large outcrop. The river itself went a different way, curving around the left hand side of the valley.

Hoof-prints... they were still fresh. Someone had passed by here recently... Enigma picked up his pace and followed them. His lungs felt fit to burst, but he had no time to rest. He followed the trail around the bend and before him stood a small village. The trail led all the way up to the gate and vanished into a mish-mash of other paw prints and snow trodden down into slush.

A wave of relief flooded through him and he found new energy to speed forwards. No sooner had he reached the main gate leading into the village, a burly Machoke cut in front of him.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing, ghost?!"

Enigma stopped himself before he collided with the large Pokemon. Several other Pokemon joined him, their eyes locked on the Banette. Amongst them were two Zangoose and a Gliscor. Enigma looked from each of them and shook his head.

"I'm not here for a fight, I'm here for help!"

"Help? _You_?" the Machoke scoffed. He looked down at the Zorua in his arms and sneered. "What do you take us for? This is obviously a trap!"  
The other Pokemon chimed in, their voices mixed together as they all threw their own jeers and remarks at Enigma.

He shook his head again. "No! He's poisoned! There's a Nidoking carcass in the river!"

"Poisoned?!" one of the other Pokemon exclaimed.

"A Nidoking? What's he doing in the river?" the Zangoose asked her brother.

"That doesn't matter right now!" Enigma snapped. "What matters is you're all at risk and he needs help!" He nodded to Harlequin.

The Machoke looked down at the Zorua again and sneered. "You expect us to help him? That's Harlequin!"

"Yeh!" the Gliscor growled. "For all we know, _he_ put the Nidoking in the river!"

Enigma's jaw dropped and he took a breath to steady himself. "Why would I warn you if we'd poisoned the river?"

"Because your nasty plan backfired!" the Machoke bellowed. He clenched his fists and took a step towards him. "Get out of here before we throw you out!"

"Let me take him out with a nightslash!" yelled the Gliscor.

The male Zangoose laughed and raised his claws. "Not if I beat you to it!"  
Enigma grit his teeth. He wasn't ready to give up yet. "Look! He's on your side now. Do what you want with me, but please help him!"

The other Pokemon erupted into laughter.

"_Our_ side?" The Machoke chuckled. "I'm not falling for that one!"

"He is! He's worked with the Outcasts."

"A likely story!"

"If you don't believe me, ask the Guild. He's friends with some Meowstic called Cleo!"

"I work for the Guild and I've never heard of her. Now get out!"

The Machoke raised his fist. It sparked dangerously with electricity and Enigma backed quickly away. The massive fighting Pokemon advanced and Enigma braced himself to fight back. If this Pokemon struck him while he was carrying Harlequin... he snarled.

"Stop!"  
The Machoke's paw fizzled harmlessly in the air as he turned to looked back at the voice. "Elsa?"  
A Lilligant shuffled through the crowd towards him and she placed a long leaf on the Machoke to usher him aside. She fixed her eyes on Enigma and looked down at Harlequin, his breathing now coming in short, frantic bursts.

"I'll take a look at him," she said.

Enigma stuttered and shook his head in disbelief. "You'll help?"  
"Yes." She looked up at the Machoke then back at Harlequin. "This Pokemon is clearly in need of help. I have no doubt about that."

"But they're our enemy!" the Machoke said.

"Yes, yet they've come to us for help. Any Pokemon is capable of change. Show a little kindness, you get a little kindness."

The Machoke snorted and looked away. "You peace enthusiasts make me sick."

"That's a pity." The Lilligant sighed. "Why don't you go and examine the river? If what he says is true, and going off the sick Pokemon in his arms I'd say it is, then this whole village is at risk." She looked back at Enigma. "Come with me."

She turned and led him through the crowd. As he passed the Machoke he gave him a sideways glance that the other Pokemon took as a warning to step back.

"And while they are here," Elsa called back to them, "they are under my protection. Don't any of you try anything."  
Enigma trotted to catch up with her. When he reached her side, he cast a quick glance back at the glowering crowd. It was thinning away now as the Pokemon left to check on the river. "I take it your the boss around here?"

She gave a tinkling laugh. "I wouldn't go that far. I head the Guild here. The town view me as more of an elder."  
"Elder?" Enigma looked at her. He hadn't noticed before, but this Lilligant was quite advanced in years. The leaves around her head had a yellow tint to the edges and curled underneath.

Her eyes creased in a smile. "The Pokemon here respect me, but we have very different opinions. If I were younger, I think I'd be the laughing stock of the village."

She paused at the base of a large evergreen tree. A wooden building surrounded the trunk, reaching up into the tree's branches. She opened a door and led him inside. A flight of stairs wound up the trunk and opened out into a spacious room. The stairs continued on upwards to another floor and Enigma wondered briefly where they led to.

Elsa motioned for him to take a seat on a thick pile of browning leaves. "Make yourself at home. I'll be back in a moment."

Enigma watched her shuffle into an adjoining room before laying Harlequin down on the make-shift bed. He flopped down next to him and leant his head against the wall. The reactions he'd received were swirling around his head. He dug his claws into the bed of leaves and they crumpled in his grip. Normally his appearance would be met with fear, but when they'd seen how frantic he was they'd treated him like he was dirt.

He chuckled and let the brittle leaves flow between his claws as he raised a paw to rub across his eyes. Of course he was dirt. He'd destroyed lives left and right and now he was asking for help... he was fortunate enough to find _one_ Pokemon in the village who'd answer his cry for help.

Elsa shuffled back in carrying a bowl in one leaf-like paw and a small bottle wrapped with a herb in the other.

"Has he been sick?" she asked.

Enigma shook his head. "No." He paused and frowned at the Lilliagant's concerned expression. "Is that a good thing?"

"Nidoking poison is notorious," she explained. "Vomiting is a natural mechanism for getting toxins back out of the body, but this one doesn't always cause that trigger."  
Enigma felt his chest tighten. So that was a 'no'. "Will he be okay?"

She crouched down next to the Zorua and moved him so his head was resting on the bowl. "How long ago did he drink it?"

Enigma clenched his jaw and closed his eyes, looking away from the Lilligant. "I don't know. I've lost track of time."

Elsa said nothing. She removed the herb from the bottle and eased Harlequin's mouth open so she could feed it inside. Almost instantly, the Zorua's small body lurched and he vomited into the bowl.

Enigma flinched and curled into himself, hugging his knees to his chest. Seeing Harlequin like this made his stomach feel like lead. It wasn't the first time he'd seen him in distress. It wasn't the first time things could have been so easily avoided...

Harlequin let out a few heavy gasps and fell back onto the pile of leaves as Elsa set the bowl aside. She uncorked the bottle and rolled Harlequin onto his back. A small trickle of pink flowed from the bottle into his mouth and he gagged, choking as he rolled back onto his side.

Enigma tensed and rose to his feet, eyes locked on the Lilligant.

"Don't worry," she said with a laugh. "It just doesn't taste very nice."

"So that's the antidote?" The warning note in his voice didn't fall on deaf ears.

Elsa gave him a smile as she put the stopper back in the bottle. "It's actually an anti-venom. Nidoqueen poison, to be exact. On its own, its toxic, but if it's ingested at the same time as its opposite then they cancel each other out."

Enigma frowned and looked back down at Harlequin. His breathing was still rapid but not as shallow as it had been previously.

"I'm almost certain he'll be fine. He just needs to rest." Elsa stood up and collected the bowl. "You can relax now."

"I thought that stuff was rare."

Elsa looked back at him. "It is. That anti-venom was given to my husband after he helped the Nidoking that lives near here. He said 'you never know when you might need it'." She gave him a small smile. "And he was right, wasn't he?"

Enigma watched as she left the room. With a sigh, he fell back down onto the leaves and let his back rest against the wall. He looked back at the Zorua lying with his eyes screwed shut and his mouth slightly open as he took in frantic gasps of air.

"So she says you should be fine..." Enigma let out a sharp breath and looked down at his paws. "Oh, Harle. This is my fault. I was keeping watch, how didn't I hear all that going on outside?" His voice cracked and he clenched his fists.

Harlequin made a small noise and Enigma looked back down at him. His expression and position hadn't changed, but Enigma was convinced he'd said 'no'. Whatever it was, he didn't attempt to say anything else.

After everything they'd just been through, Enigma was starting to feel very tired. However, he didn't want to risk falling asleep. What if Harlequin needed him? He placed a paw against the Zorua's ribs and gave a sigh of relief when he felt his heart pulsing quickly. He had to trust if Harlequin stopped breathing, or his heart stopped beating, it would wake him up in time to do something about it.

"I'm sorry, Harle."

Harlequin tried to stretch a front leg towards him, his small paw curling around a leaf and stopping short of him.

Small... everything about Harlequin seemed small. His oddly shaggy coat fell flat over a delicate frame. From this angle, he didn't look remotely male.

Enigma chuckled drily and leant his head back against the wall, letting his heavy eyelids close. Sometimes he wondered if he'd been playing the fool.

That was an idea he had to beat out of his head with a thick club.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	50. Amongst Volcanoes

**A/N - This is one of them instances where I'd used the same chapter title twice and had to change it. I guess it happens when you've written loads of chapters... Don't worry. I changed it lol.**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

50 – Amongst Volcanoes

Tinker nibbled at a strip of dried fish as he watched Starshine organise his tools by size. The little Swablu had simply announced he wanted to do it and wouldn't back down until Tinker opened his tool box. Starshine fluttered to and from the box as he dropped each tool onto the table and straightened them out next to each other. What had taken Tinker completely by surprise was that the Swablu knew the names of each one.

A soft knock resounded through the door and Tinker looked round briefly before declaring, "Come in."

The door opened and Skipper strode in, followed by Tad, Sandpaw and Scout.

"Ya'llright there, Tink?" Skipper flopped into a chair beside him and smiled at the Swablu. "Ah, ye let 'im play wi' yer tools then, aye?"

Tad tutted. "He's been beggin' uncle Skipper t'let us play wi' them fer days."  
Skipper laughed. "Well, Tad, ye th'one who started it."  
Tinker opened his mouth to respond to this but Sandpaw caught his eye. She cautiously approached the desk and looked down at the Swablu, Scout held firmly in her arms. Starshine chirruped and looked up at her, and his tiny eyes closed in a smile.

"Hi there!"  
"Oh!" Sandpaw took a step back. "Hi?" She looked down at Tinker. "You have a baby dragon Pokemon?"  
Starshine immediately went back to playing with the tools.

Tinker gave a small shrug. "Yes. I found him as an egg, and I'm raising him."  
"Alone?"

"Not quite. I have Skipper." He paused as the Marshstomp gave Sandpaw a massive grin. "And his sister helps too."  
"Why on earth do you- Scout!" Sandpaw gasped as the Sentret wriggled from her arms and hopped onto the table. "Be careful! It's a-"  
"What's this?" Scout scooped up one of the screwdrivers.

Starshine inclined his head on one side, eyeing the Sentret curiously.

Tinker raised an eyebrow. "That's a-"

"Flat headed screwdriver," said Starshine.

Tinker stared at Starshine aghast. He looked up at Skipper, his mouth agape but nothing coming out.

Skipper gave a hearty chuckle and nudged Tad with his flipper. "Fast learner, thissun, aye?"

Scout turned the tool around in his paws, examining it from every angle. "What does it do?"  
"Puts screws in things." Starshine hopped over to Scout and took the tool back, putting it carefully in the spot it had previously rested in.

"Not quite, Starshine," said Tinker. "It tightens screws."

"He talks well," said Sandpaw. "How long have you had him?"  
"Several days now."

"Several days?!"

Tinker shrugged. "Every Pokemon advances at a different rate."  
Skipper chuckled. "I think thissun's a prodigy!"  
"That's not what I meant!" said Sandpaw. "How are you keeping a dragon in this place?"  
Tinker put his head in his paws. "It's not an easy one, Sandpaw. But if he's raised with our morals, then..." he trailed off and stared at the little Swablu as he busied himself with the tools. The little Pokemon could clearly understand him, but wasn't showing any interest in his identity. "You've met Faith?" He turned back to Sandpaw. "Apparently Altaria have a mega evolution which is part fairy type."

"Oh!" Sandpaw smiled. "The new type from the Fairy Garden!"

Tinker frowned and looked away from her. "Yes, quite. Well, if we can find this one a mega stone then..." he scratched his head and sighed. "Where am I supposed to get such a thing?"

"Maybe ask Faith next time you see her?"

Tinker was silent. He crossed his arms and leant back in his chair. He wasn't wanting to tell Sandpaw that he didn't exactly want to ask the Mawile for help. He pursed his lips in thought, watching the little Swablu retrieve a spanner from Scout after blurting out a vague description as to what it did.

"So you're raising a baby," Sandpaw stated, drawing his attention back. "And you're running this massive city, all while visiting other cities... how do you do it all?"  
Tinker gave a dry laugh. "I'm not running the city, I'm standing in."

"So there's someone higher up than you?"  
"Yes. My father. But he's not here at the moment." He looked away from the Furret and picked up a diagram, absently staring at it.  
"Oh..." Sandpaw rubbed her paws together and looked down at Scout.

She'd clearly taken his message he didn't want to talk about it. His father, a brave Blaziken, had founded New City with Grey. He'd gone to extend the city beyond the Moorland's Forest seven years ago and not returned. Dead... missing... he had no idea. He'd left Tinker in charge, and he'd heard nothing since.

"Well, he doesn't seem like a bad Pokemon..."

Tinker looked back up at Sandpaw. She had a paw placed on the desk while stretching the other one out to Starshine. The little Swablu chirruped happily and placed a shiny, silver object in her paw.

"That's a bolt!" Starshine told her. "Stops things falling apart."

Scout clapped his paws together and ran over to his mother. He took it from her and raised it up to his face so he could look through the hole in the centre.

"Wow! I've never seen one!" The Sentret laughed.

Starshine waddled over to the toolbox. "We have more!"

"Really?" Tad hopped onto Skipper's knee and placed his paws on the table so he could get a good look. "I see 'em every day, but Tinker never lets me play wi' 'em!"  
Tinker smiled up at the Furret. "What do you think? Are these two good playmates for Scout?"

Sandpaw's face fell and she looked back down at Starshine, now handing various small screws and pins to Scout and Tad, telling them what each and every one did in a quick string of words.

"Oh, I..." Her face softened again into a warm smile. "Yes. Yes, I think so."  
"Good! It's settled then!" Tinker leant back in his chair again and beamed. "We'll let this group play together and introduce Starshine to the rest of New City that way."

"Finally!" Skipper leapt from his seat and cheered, startling Sandpaw. "I thought this day'd never come!"

...

"So you say we're not too far away now?" Cleo asked Reshiram as she folded the blue sheet into a neat little square.

"Not far at all," answered the white dragon. "My guess is we'll be there by sunset if the wind is in our favour."

"And if it's not?" Cleo took the collapsible poles off Faith and then stuck them in her bag along with the tent.

Reshiram laughed. "Then we'll be camping in the ocean!"  
Spark dropped her berry and shuddered. "No! There's water there!"

Faith and Reshiram chuckled at the Dedenne's little outburst and Cleo looked down at her with a small smile.

"There sure is water," said Reshiram. "Not to worry, little Spark. We'll land on the beach if it looks to be slow going."

"Whew!" Spark retrieved her berry and took a bite out of it. "That's a relief." She paused and looked up at the large Pokemon. "I know you were joking, by the way."

Cleo threw her bag over her shoulder and looked up at the dragon. "If we're so close though, wouldn't it be worth to keep on flying?"

Reshiram shook his head. "Not in these times, Cleo. My tail would be like a beacon in the dark. We might find ourselves under attack."

"Oh." Cleo gave a curt nod. "Of course."

"Don't worry about it, Cleo," said Faith. "We'll get there."

"You certainly will!" said Reshiram. "You were making good progress before I found you."

"I've been meaning to ask, actually." Spark licked the berry residue off her paws. "How _did_ you know how to find us?"

"Ahah!" Reshiram chuckled. "Xerneas sent me after the snow fall. It would have been too much of a trek for you all in the snow, so I was sent to give you a lift."

"But... finding us?"

"He said you'd be heading for the hills to pass through them on your way to find the fire Pokemon. The upside to flying is it's easy to spot who you're looking for from the sky. I headed for the hills and when I spotted the camp site, I put two and two together and waited."

Spark grinned up at him. "Well, we do appreciate it! Thanks!" She strutted over to Cleo and vanished into the snow with an 'eek!'

"Oh, Spark..." Faith reached into the thick snow and pulled her back out by her paw.

Spark nodded. "I see why you were sent now."

Once everything was gathered together, Reshiram lowered himself for the three Pokemon to climb onto his back. He took to the sky with an alarming speed that Cleo and Spark still weren't used to.

The night had been a quiet one, mostly due to the snow that had fallen again. The new tent the travelling Outcasts had given them had provided enough shelter from the harsh winds. Reshiram had slept outside, curling himself around the tent and periodically igniting his tail to give the other Pokemon some extra warmth. Oddly enough, the snow didn't bother him. Cleo just put this down to his fire typing. Whatever went on inside his body clearly provided him with some kind of resistance to the cold weather, as by morning he was as bright-eyed and cheerful as he always was.

The snow beneath his body had completely melted away, and the grass where his tail had been lying was dry enough for them to sit on. Despite having been lying in the snow, his feathers were virtually dry.

"I wish I could be as warm as that," Spark had sighed when she flopped down for her breakfast. "I'd never be soggy when it rains!"  
Reshiram had chuckled at this. "Unfortunately, little Spark, I can't use my tail in the rain. It puts out the flames!"

"Oh! I can see the island!" Faith's voice drew Cleo out of her reverie. The Mawile pointed ahead of her and gave Cleo a large smile. "See! There it is!"

Cleo squinted into the distance. Sure enough, there was the island. She would have overlooked it if it weren't for Faith pointing it out. It was minute, and still many miles away. The ocean was just a blueish streak under the cloud-filled sky. If they were flying closer to the ground, it would be blocked out by the mountains and forests that dominated a majority of the region.

"How's the wind?" Spark called from her shoulder.

Reshiram glanced back at them. "So far, it's pushing us forwards! If it doesn't change, we won't need to camp before we get there!"

"Woohoo!" Spark punched the air with both fists. "We'll be there in no time!"

...

Harlequin stood by the river, desperately thirsty. The water ran clear, the Zorua's reflection rippling and distorting. But before that maddening thirst could be quenched, the image distorted into that of a Zoroark. A wicked grin stretched across his face and the water parted in a violent spray as the Zoroark leapt out of the water, snatching at the Zorua's right front leg.

Harlequin's rear claws frantically grabbed at the ground as the Zoroark retreated back into the river, dragging the Zorua with him.

"No! Get off me! Get off me!"

...

Enigma hadn't slept.

Elsa had been out most of the day to deliver the anti-venom to the two inhabitants who had drank from the river. Enigma was surprised the numbers weren't drastically higher, but he got an answer as to why quite quickly when the Lilligant returned later that evening with a bucket of water. When he'd asked where she'd got it from, she'd answered that there was a mountain spring nearby, not connected to the main river, and all of the village tended to use it for convenience. She quickly checked over Harlequin and made sure Enigma wasn't hungry before retiring to bed. She'd been reasonably happy with the Zorua's progress, giving him nothing more than a quick glance and taking Enigma's word that he hadn't taken a turn for the worse.

She gave him the bucket of water with two glasses and a plate of berries then left him for the night.

And he hadn't slept.

He'd watched the sun rise and reach its peak as it rose higher into the sky, poking out occasionally between the thick clouds.

He was starting to wonder if the village were the main target for that poison attack. If they were, then why wasn't the spring poisoned? Did their attacker not know about it? That was likely... but it was also likely the target was Harlequin or himself. They'd both made their fair share of enemies over the years.

Not to mention Harlequin wasn't easy to mistake. Those blue markings stood out vibrantly against his dark fur, his unique appearance finished off by a pair of alarmingly blue eyes.

An oddly-coloured Zorua... that's what everyone outside the Shadow Lands kept their eyes open for. Not a Zoroark... despite his age, Harlequin had not evolved.

His paw trailed over Harlequin's right leg, finding that familiar scar that had once caused him a lot of distress. The memory was still all too clear, yet almost dream-like. Finding Harlequin on the floor in a pool of blood as he tried to permanently stop any chance of evolution had been a sickening experience, yet Enigma had been oddly level-headed as he tried desperately to stop the bleeding.

He'd managed it, but if Harlequin ever changed his mind about evolving, Enigma was fairly certain he'd never be able to.

Harlequin's paw jerked and he muttered something. Enigma tore his eyes from his scarred limb and looked at his face. His mouth was pulled back in a sneer and his nose crinkled. Then his blue eyes shot open and he yelped, leaping to his feet. Enigma snatched his paw back as Harlequin's jaws snapped shut, his teeth closing over thin air.

Enigma watched the Zorua as his wide eyes focused blankly on the wall and he wobbled, falling back onto his side. His eyes closed again and he took in a few frantic breaths, his small body shaking.

Enigma grabbed one of the glasses and scooped water out of the bucket, placing the glass in front of Harlequin's nose.

"Here."

"Don't... touch me..."

Enigma frowned at the Zorua. "Come on, Harle. It's water."

"He's _in_ the water..."  
"This is from a spring," Enigma explained. "It's not poisoned. That's what she's told me, and she's all right, so she must be telling the truth."

Harlequin's eyes screwed shut and he said nothing, his head flinching back from the glass as Enigma nudged it closer to him.

"You need to drink something," Enigma told him.

Harlequin still didn't move. Enigma moved the glass to his other side and scooted closer to him, placing a paw beneath his head. The Zorua let out a wail and lashed out with his claws, catching them in Enigma's scarf.

"No! Don't touch me!"  
"Harle! It's me!"

Harlequin let out another wail as Enigma hoisted him up on his lap so he was resting on both front legs with his head pressed against his chest. His wails trailed off as his nose twitched against his scarf.

"...Enigma?"

"Yeh." Enigma grabbed the glass and offered it to him. "Here. Drink this."

Harlequin lowered his muzzle to the glass and lapped at the water. He began to grow more frantic as he tried to quench his thirst and Enigma had to restrain the Zorua from diving nose-first into the glass.

He went through two glasses before Harlequin pushed the glass away and flopped into Enigma. He lay him back down on the bed of leaves and leant back against the wall.

"He wants to hurt me."

Enigma looked back down at the Zorua. His eyes were still closed but he seemed much less distressed.

"Who does?" he asked.

"I killed him," Harlequin answered. "Now he's in the water and he wants to hurt me."

Enigma frowned. There was no way Harlequin was talking about the Nidoking. He hadn't known that body was there. Killed him? Killed who? Like Enigma, Harlequin had killed a lot of Pokemon using his poisons, but which of those had caused this hysteria?

The first one? Had Harlequin killed someone before he was forced into Hydreigon's ranks?

A movement at the door broke Enigma's train of thought and he fixed his crimson eyes on the Lilligant.

"You're awake," she said with a smile. "How's your friend? I heard noise and thought something might be wrong..."

Enigma shrugged. "I think he was having a nightmare."

"That's no surprise." Elsa dropped down next to Harlequin. "Not only has he been poisoned, he'll be quite dehydrated. I see you managed to get him to drink? That's good."

Enigma let out a grunt. "It wasn't exactly easy, either."

Elsa looked over at him and her eyes fell on the plate of berries. "As for you, you need to eat something. You've not touched that plate at all, have you?"

"I wasn't hungry."

"You need your strength. You've been through a lot of stress yourself, and you aren't leaving here until you've eaten something." She waggled her leaf-like paw at him and Enigma felt himself shrink down beneath her glare.

"Fine, fine." He grabbed an oran berry from the pile and stared at it before giving her a sideways glance. "I can make myself invisible, you know."

"Yes, you can. But I'm not deaf. I'll just follow your bell and bring you back here." She gave him a warm smile and laughed. "I've raised two children, and the mothering instinct won't go away. Do excuse me."

Enigma chuckled and bit into the berry, trying not to grimace as the combination of flavours filled his mouth.

"You're excused," he said.

"You also don't look like you've slept."

"I'm used to it."

"Well..." Elsa stood up and picked up the used glass and a sitrus berry. "Anxiety doesn't help matters."

Enigma watched her as she scooped out a glass of water and began squeezing the sitrus juices into it. After a few moments, he yawned widely and folded his paws behind his head, letting his eyes close as he leaned back against the wall.

His mind was reeling with recent events but the memories began to blur together, distorting and creating nonsense, mixed in with mumbling, incoherent sounds. When Elsa's voice brought him back around, he hadn't known how much time had passed. The glass she'd been preparing was now empty, placed back beside the bucket of water. He was suddenly aware he was thirsty and grabbed himself a quick glass, downing it in a couple of mouthfuls before helping himself to another.

He looked down at Harlequin who was now breathing steadily, his ears and paws twitching as he dreamt. Elsa was sat observing him, her eyes going to Enigma briefly.

He cleared his throat and lowered his glass. "Did you ask me something?"  
"Yes. I think you must have dozed off." She looked back down at Harlequin and brushed a leaf through his ruff. "You refer to your friend as a 'he', but are you sure this Zorua is actually a male?"

Enigma's eyes widened and he looked away from her, turning his focus to a spot on the floor.

"I just assumed, and he never denied it." Enigma felt her eyes on him and he gave her a glance and frowned. "How many female Zorua have _you_ seen?"

"It's true that they are few and far between," said Elsa. "The same goes for Cyndaquil and Squirtle, amongst others. But it isn't impossible, otherwise the species would have died out long ago."

Enigma snorted. "But what are the chances Harlequin's female with those blue markings?"

"The markings are irrelevant." Elsa looked back down at the Zorua and sat back on her knees. "What _is_ relevant is that you may be wrong."  
"Like I said, he's not denied it." Enigma looked away from her. "Anyway, if you find out, don't tell me. I don't want to know."

"Why ever not? Surely you want to be certain, right?"

"No. It would just complicate things." He stood up and moved over to the window, looking down at the village below. "Anyway. I've had a rest. I'm going to find out who killed that Nidoking."

"Oh!" Elsa looked up at him. "I think they'll have removed the body from the river by now."

"They'll have put it somewhere." He looked back at her then down at Harlequin. "Thank you for your help, Elsa. Please keep an eye on him. If he wakes up, tell him I'll catch him later."

Elsa watched him climb onto the window sill. "Take care, Enigma."

He gave her a quick glance back then slipped through the window and vanished, warping through the town, keeping himself unseen.

Elsa listened until his bell faded beyond her hearing and looked down at the Zorua, now lying completely still. "You're awake aren't you? How much of that did you hear?"

Harlequin let out a small grunt and shrugged. "Enough."

"Why haven't you corrected him?"  
The Zorua took in a long, shaky breath. "I've never seen him so scared."

Elsa didn't say anything, waiting for Harlequin to go on.

"I've seen him angry. I've seen him heartbroken." Harlequin curled a paw into the bed of leaves. "But if that's the last thing she saw... I was there. I don't ever want to risk putting him through all that again."

Elsa didn't really understand Harlequin's jumbled explanation. But one thing she was trying to say was certain. "So you refuse to tell him the truth?"  
Harlequin didn't look at her. Her eyes were closed, and a trail of tears were running over her cheek.

"Harlequin? Are you all right?"

"I have to." She paused and took in another shaky breath. "It keeps a wall between us."

...

Reshiram dipped his wings, letting himself and his passengers drop steadily from the sky. He beat the air at regular intervals as the ground grew closer and closer. Ashen and unwelcoming, the surface of the island was eroded into an uneven pattern of blackened rocks. A large volcano stood on the far left of the island, the slope somewhat steeper where the rock met the water. The rest of the volcano stretched across the land, sloping gently and covered in dry, brittle plants. Many of the trees had died long ago, and as they came closer into view they could make out the trunks, scorched black and surrounded by a thick, lumpy layers of smooth rock.

"This volcano once erupted," said Cleo.

"I think it's erupted a few times," said Reshiram. His feet finally touched the ground and he lowered himself for the other Pokemon to climb down. "To be honest, I think the volcano is still alive."

Spark looked up and sniffed the air. "I don't see any smoke."

Cleo dragged her feet over the ground. It was all solid rock. She couldn't see any patches of soft soil. What plants there were had poked up through jagged cracks. The long, thorny stems of a razz bush stretched across the ground, its roots finding their way down through the rocks. The hardy plant had forced its way through, and strangled any of the weaker plants it grew across. Its fat, lumpy berries clung on to the plant, and those that had fallen off lay rotten on the ground.

Faith stretched up to her full height and looked around at the rocky island. "I don't think anyone still lives here."

"There's only one way to find out," said Cleo. "We explore and see if we can spot any Pokemon. If not... we leave and try elsewhere."

Reshiram made a thoughtful noise and looked down at his friends. "I think I might have to wait for you here."

"Why?" asked Spark.

Reshiram stretched out his wings and nodded over to the volcano. "I'm too big to fit through all those rocks. And there aren't many places I can land."

The other Pokemon followed his eyes. Cleo hadn't really considered it, none of them had, but the surface of the volcano was very uneven. Rocky outcrops from the mountain jutted out at alarming angles, creating gaps in the path much too narrow for a Pokemon of Reshiram's size to fit through. He was right, they would have to go on alone.

"I'm sure you'll be fine," he said. "But if you need me, here." He reached into the ruff around his neck and plucked a feather free. Using his claws, he dug a hole into it then handed it to Cleo. "Blow on that. I'll hear it and come looking for you."

Cleo ran her paw over the soft feather. It was one of the dragon's smaller ones, but was almost as long as her forearm.

"Are you sure you'll hear it?" she asked.

"I have good hearing! Besides!" Reshiram chuckled. "In this empty island, how can't I hear it?"  
Cleo gave him a smile. "Thank you, Reshiram. You've been a massive help."

"You really have!" Spark bounced up and down. "I've never flown before! I can't believe how fast we got here!"

"Like I said. If the wind is in our favour," Reshiram looked back out at the ocean, "we'd be here by sunset."

Cleo looked out at the setting sun. The clouds were dyed in orange and red. Would it be safe to look around in the dark on this island?

Probably not.

She reached into her bag and pulled out the tent.

"Good idea," said Faith. "It would be better to search in the morning."  
"Yes, but..." Spark looked about, fidgeting her paws together. "What if we aren't the only Pokemon on this island?"  
"Simple," said Cleo. "We do what we've always done. We keep watch."

Reshiram smiled down at them. "I'm happy to do that for you. You three can catch up on your sleep."  
"Really?" Cleo gasped. "But you're the one who flew us all this way! Surely you need some sleep?"

Reshiram laughed. "I can assure you, I'm fine."

Faith struck him playfully on the shin. "Nonsense! You can sleep like the rest of us."

"Okay! But at least let me take the first and last watch."

The other Pokemon exchanged glances then broke into smiles.

"Okay," said Faith. "But only because I know you won't back down if we say no."

Reshiram laughed again.

After Cleo had set up the tent, the large, white Pokemon curled himself around it to provide some heat. Cleo felt it wasn't really needed, however. Unlike the main island, this one was devoid of snow. The ground wasn't warm, but somewhere there must be some source of heat that didn't let the snow stick for long.

While she was dividing up their meals, her eyes went back to the top of the mountain and the gaping mouth of the volcano – unseen from this angle but having seen it from above she knew it was there.

If it wasn't extinct, then there was the risk it could explode at any moment... and she really didn't want any of them to be around when it did.

...

**Seems like Enigma's in denial more than anything, huh?**

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	51. Cave In

**A/N - I've worked out I've only got about 3 more chapters left to write (unless it surprises me and takes a fair while longer) so I should hopefully have this fanfic finished by the end of the week! (Not all uploaded, obviously. I'm just about to start chapter 67 lol)**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

51 – Cave In

The Weavile threw open the doors to Hydreigon's throne room. The massive dragon let out a grunt of surprise and a low growl rumbled through the room, chilling the Weavile to the bone. He clutched the book to his chest and fixed his red eyes on the dragon briefly before looking back down at it.

"I found somethin' in Enigma's room," he explained. "Something I thought you might wanna see."

Hydreigon snorted. "What makes it so important you think you can barge in here like that?"

"Well, my lord, I found it underneath his bed, buried in some dusty rags." He dropped the book to the flood and nudged it forwards with his foot. "It's some story about good overcoming evil. That's what I get from it anyway."

Hydreigon lurched forwards, causing the Weavile to take a leap back. One of the smaller heads flipped open the book and his main set of eyes leered down at it. His large mouth twisted into a vicious sneer.

"You just... _found_ this?"

"You recognise it?" The Weavile moved forwards, his claws clasped together. "I had a look through it. That Xerneas character overthrows the dark and dragon Pokemon so easily. I thought it might be relevant, considering the-"

Hydreigon slammed the book closed and turned his red eyes onto the Weavile. "Relevant?!"

The Weavile gulped, his entire body frozen in place under the dragon's wicked glare.

The rumble from his growl filled the throne room and he looked back down at the book. "Enigma's been hiding this... a book about Xerneas still exists in the Shadow Lands?!"  
"You've heard of him?" The Weavile's voice came out weak and small.

Hydreigon snapped back to look at him. "I want you to pass a message on to Yurlik. Send his Murkrow to track him down if need be. I want that Enigma bringing back here. Now!"

The Weavile nodded and sprinted from the room, bolting out into the cold courtyard. He scanned the trees for any sign of the massive Honchkrow but there was no sign of him. He paused beneath a tree and screamed up into the branches, causing the sleeping Murkrow to let out cries of alarm, sending down a flurry of black feathers.

"Oi! Find Yurlik and tell him Lord Hydreigon wants Enigma back here alive!"

The flock of Murkrow rose from the branches and separated, spanning the Shadow Lands and several heading to the Border Woods. The cawing cries faded away into the distance.

...

"Wow, this ground is harsh." Spark hopped over a crumbling rock, zooming on ahead of Cleo and Faith. She paused to glance back at them. "Watch out for that one!"  
Cleo didn't need the warning. She pressed herself up against the steep, rocky slope and kept her paws away from the worse of the crumbling outcrop. Slithers of stone fell away beneath her feet, falling with a soft clatter onto the ground below. It wasn't especially high up, but a fall would still be a rather unfortunate experience.

Once safely on the other side, Cleo paused to lift Faith over the crumbling obstacle with a purple bubble of psychic energy.

"Thank you!" said Faith as her feet touched the floor. She glanced around, spotting Spark a few feet away. "I'm not sure what I make of this island. I'm not seeing any sign that Pokemon live here."

"Me neither." Cleo moved on, catching up with the fast Dedenne. "But I'm not willing to give up quite yet."  
Spark looked back at her. "Well, you're not gonna like this!"

Cleo and Faith joined Spark's side on a jagged, jutting slab of smooth stone. Without realising it, they had scaled up the shallow slope of the volcano. Below them was another slope, somewhat steeper. It resembled a valley – a dry valley – as it rose up again on the other side. But where one would expect a river lay a long, deep, jagged crevice. A tattered rope bridge ran across it, and wide gaps lay in the surface where many of the wooden slats had fallen away.

"With the state of that bridge," said Faith, "I think it is safe to say no Pokemon live on this island."

"Or they're all trapped on the other side," said Cleo.

Spark looked up at her. "Can you get us across?"

"I could certainly try! The only problem is I wouldn't be able to go with you."

"That won't do," said Faith. "I think we may need to find a way around it."

"You mean try the other side of the mountain?" Cleo asked.

Faith nodded sadly. "It means backtracking a fair bit. But we'll get there!"

Cleo stared at the deep drop for a moment. It was a natural formation, but it wasn't unreasonable to believe the damage was done by a Pokemon. Many Pokemon specialised in using the ground to their advantage in battle. This crack may have been caused by a Pokemon using earthquake or fissure. If that were the case...

"What if this was done to protect the Pokemon on the other side?"

Spark and Faith looked at Cleo.

"It's not unreasonable," Cleo went on. "And if it is to protect them, it will probably be the same on the other side of the volcano."  
"So what do you want to do?" asked Spark. "Go back?"

Cleo shook her head. "No. I want to have a look at it."

"A look? At a giant crack?"

Cleo slipped past the Dedenne and clambered awkwardly down the steep slope. The ground was uneven and due to the volcano's activity, what rocks stuck out were pretty solid and coated in a slippery, black shell. Several times, Cleo almost slipped, landing on her bottom and struggling back to her feet. When she finally reached more level ground, her heart was racing.

Spark placed her paws on her knees and doubled over next to her. "I have to say, I'm not looking forwards to climbing back up there."

Cleo looked back at the steep slope. The way they'd come down was the safest-looking option. The rest of the mountain surrounding them was dangerously steep and slippery. Her eyes trailed down it to the crevice. The slippery black stone flowed over the edge of the deep drop, coating the edges with a dark stone that shimmered in the sunlight. One would think it might still be wet, but it was solid and glassy to the touch. Cleo didn't know much about volcanic activity, but the different rocks on this island must have something to do with it. Some were brittle, some were smooth, most were dark but here and there were paler rocks, dusted grey with ash, that looked like they might be made from some spongy plant. This type of rock layered the deep crevice before it turned a rustic brown further down.

"Wow," said Spark. "It's deep."

"It sure is," said Faith. "I'm not sure how we're going to cross, though. The bridge doesn't look remotely safe."  
Cleo looked up from the deep fissure to the ragged bridge that ran across it. The rope was held in place on either side with wooden pegs, all of which were singed black at the base. Close up, it looked incredibly unwelcoming and dangerous. The wooden panels lay haphazardly across the rope structure, and many indeed were missing. Those that were left were tinted black and grey like the ropes themselves. A little of the original creamy-white colouring showed through.

Cleo had to admit she didn't really want to chance that bridge.

"We can't just assume the Pokemon here are trapped," she said. "There must be another way across."

"Reshiram?" Spark suggested.

"He's too big," said Faith. "He'd get stranded here."

Cleo looked around them at the steep sides and nodded. "It might look spacious to us, but not to him. He needs room to take off."  
Spark sighed and sat down. Her large eyes were drawn to the massive crack and she twitched her nose in curiosity.

"Cleo... I don't think this break goes all the way through the island."

Cleo looked over at her. "No?"

"No. I mean... if it did, the island would be in two, right? There'd be water down there."

Cleo and Faith peered over the edge of the fissure.

"You have a point," said Cleo. "But... what are you getting at?"

"It's a deterrent. Pokemon can't cross it because they'd fall to their deaths. But... what if there is another way across? The bridge is worn and battered, but think about it. We know some Pokemon live underground with a lot of exits and entrances. Wait..." She looked up at Cleo. "What if the Pokemon here live underground?!"

"Fire Pokemon..." Cleo stared at Spark for a moment then looked up sharply, her eyes going to the top of the mountain. "It's a volcano... they'd want to stay where its warm!" She bolted over to the steep surface of the mountain. "Spark, you're a genius!"

Spark leapt to her feet. "I am? What did I do?"

Faith laughed and followed after Cleo. "You gave us an idea!"

Spark darted after them on all fours. "You're climbing back to the top again? N'aww!"  
The slope was much steeper than the one they'd come down, and the rocks were brittle in places, crumbling away beneath their paws. The slippery rock was equally as difficult and Cleo made a point of staying away from it. The shimmering trails marked the magma's path down the side of the mountain, pooling into the deep fissure below. Cleo couldn't help but think any Pokemon that survived that drop would meet a terrible end when the volcano erupted.

The higher they climbed, the more treacherous the rocks became. Stiff plants jutted out from the rock, splitting it and causing it to crumble effortlessly beneath their paws. The plants themselves provided a stable hold to hoist themselves up, or to hang onto when the ground crumbled, but with each slip, Cleo's heart lurched into her throat and the yells from her friends behind her caused her to look back. They were okay, but she received a clear view of the ground below and her head began to spin. She screwed her eyes shut and turned her face back to the peak of the volcano. One paw... then two... she forced herself over the dangerous slope and finally her paw touched level ground. She pulled herself up then offered a paw to Faith, pulling the Mawile up beside her. Spark had decided to ride on the Mawile's back and hopped off as Faith doubled over to catch her breath.

Cleo took a look around. A brittle, burnt tree stood a couple of feet away, its scorched and bare branches reaching down like black claws. The mountain rose on behind it, opening up into the mouth of the volcano. Their path, however, was still cut off by that deep crack.

Faith looked up. "Where are we?"

"Stuck," said Cleo. "We can't reach the mouth of the volcano with that crack in the way."

"You think we can get into their home through that?" Spark gasped. "What if it's live?!"

"If it's live, we'll know before we reach it," said Cleo. "It will be hot."  
Spark shook her head. "Even a fire Pokemon wouldn't live in a volcano." She paused. "Unless its a Magmar or something."

"Spark has a point," said Faith, still trying to catch her breath. "If the Pokemon here are living underground then they'd want to stay where its warm, but not right in the thick of molten rock."

Cleo made a thoughtful noise and looked away from the volcano. Her eyes landed on the burnt tree and for the first time she noticed something was nailed to it. She ventured over, taking in the blackened piece of wood. Engraved into its surface were two words, barely readable beneath the years of damage and wear.

"What is it?" Faith joined her side.

Cleo squinted, trying to read the faded words. Then her heart skipped a beat. The words read a warning, giving her a clear idea of the nature of the island's Pokemon.

'Stay away'.

Spark made an audible gulp. "Well, I think I know when I'm not welcome."

Cleo nodded and took a step back. "I agree. I think we shou-"

A loud crack echoed across the island as the rock beneath them split, caving in and sucking them down amongst the debris. Cleo landed hard on her back, and her body was pelted with the sharp, brittle rocks. It seemed to last an eternity, the debris falling in bursts as more and more of the land caved in above her.

When it finally settled, the noise faded, revealing a distinct clanging of metal. She sat up, coughing as dust filled her nose and throat. What was that noise? She fanned at the grey dust cloud and looked around at the pile of rocks and splintered wood. The mound shifted and Faith's surprised face appeared, small rocks falling away from her. She pushed herself free from the debris and fixed her wide eyes on Cleo.

"Are you all right?"

"Are you?" Cleo asked.

Faith nodded and looked down at herself. "I think so. Are you okay Spark?"  
Spark's muffled voice grumbled a reply. Faith raised her horn and opened its massive jaws. Spark peered out and shook her tiny head before hopping onto the dusty rocks.

"What's that clanging?" she asked.

Cleo let out a sigh of relief. So Faith had thought fast and caught Spark safely in her jaws before the ground completely gave way... she stood up and looked around them. The clanging noise was fading away, along with the dust cloud. Beyond it stood an iron fence and three stone walls. Above them was a gaping hole, the light blocked out by that burned tree. It had toppled over, trapping them deep underground.

"Cleo," said Faith. "I think this is a cell."  
Cleo looked out again at that iron gate and her heart sank. She ran over to it and placed her paws on the cold, unwelcoming bars. The walls joined it on either side. Faith was right.

They were trapped.

...

The two Zangoose and the Gliscor were still working beside the river, trying to clear out as much poison as they could. As Enigma drew closer, he could make out the massive form of the Nidoking several feet away from them. The snow beneath his body was dyed a pale red and a streak of deep pink trailed down from under his horn. The chime of a bell cut through the sunset, causing the three Pokemon to look up sharply.

Enigma materialised beside the Nidoking's body and scanned it over with his eyes. The body was cut in several places, most notably around his horn.

"Hey!" The Gliscor rounded on him, and Enigma dodged, just barely moving out of the Gliscor's path as he flew towards him, his pincers glowing with an eerie black light. The large scorpion-like Pokemon landed in the snow, glaring at him. "You aren't welcome here!"

Enigma snorted and looked back at the Nidoking. "I'm only here to see if I can figure out who poisoned the river."  
"Well you're not wanted!" the Gliscor snapped.

He raised his claws to ready another attack and Enigma rolled his eyes at him.

"Threaten me all you want," Enigma said, his voice bored. "But I think you'd be interested to know, I've figured this out."  
"You're joking." The male Zangoose sounded surprised. He approached Enigma, keeping one eye on him as he looked down at the Nidoking. "None of us have a clue."

"That's because the murder isn't from here." Enigma pointed to the Nidoking's horn. "See those fine slashes? Only a Pokemon with blades can do that."

The Gliscor glowered at him. "Who's to say you didn't do it using a blade?"

"Why would I poison my friend then ask you for help?" Enigma stared at him, but a surge of surprise caused his eyes to widen and he looked away. Friend? He shook off the shock and turned his attention back to the Nidoking. "I've also just spent an entire day in your town and spared you all." He chuckled. "Right? I think it's clear to you now that this isn't some convoluted trick."

The Zangoose stared at him for a moment then looked away. "He has a point, Kale. This isn't his doing, I'm certain."

The Gliscor mumbled incoherently and went back to the river.

"So what Pokemon has blades?" the Zangoose asked. "Because all I can think of is a Scyther, and a Scyther would be poisoned itself."  
"A steel type wouldn't," said Enigma.

The Zangoose let out a small gasp. "A Scizor? But they don't have blades!"

Enigma chuckled. "Come on, wrack your brain! I haven't got all night, I need to track this killer down."

The Zangoose snarled. "Is this some kind of game to you?"

Enigma clasped his paws behind his head and gave the Zangoose a sideways smirk. "What dark Pokemon is covered in a steel body? Enough steel that they cut up whatever they carry?" He nodded to the Nidoking's torn body.

"Bisharp and Pawniard," said the Zangoose. "But they were wiped out, weren't they?"

"One would think. But I've spotted two recently." Enigma turned away from him. "They hang around with an Absol."

The Zangoose gasped. "An Absol did this?!"  
"They bring disaster, don't they?"

Enigma walked away, leaving the Zangoose to mull over what he'd said.

Yes, they bring disaster. And this one was only going to bring disaster on himself.

Harbinger... why would he have poisoned Harlequin if they were friends?

Enigma felt his face twist into a sneer and he launched himself into the branches of the evergreen trees. That Absol must still be lurking about somewhere. If Harlequin was his target, he'd want to make sure he was dead. Enigma needed to get high up enough to survey the area, and see if he could spot that Absol or his Pawniard comrades amongst the white snow.

He warped into the highest branches and the tip of the tree bent dangerously, the fine branches barely holding his weight. He cast his eyes quickly over the ground before warping across the treetops, adopting the same position in each tree, each one bending at the tip and flicking back up again as he left it.

The valley seemed empty, a stark comparison to the village he'd left behind. But he found his clue faster than he expected. In the snow were a set of three paw prints. Large, flat, clawed prints ran through the middle of a pair of small, sharp ones.

Enigma grinned.

Throwing himself into the lower branches, he followed the trail leading up to the mountain. His bell was ringing out like a siren. If the Absol heard it, going off his reaction the last time they'd met, he wouldn't be inclined to run.

If he was bold enough to poison Harlequin knowing Enigma was present, this Absol clearly didn't fear him.

But there he was. Running along the mountain, the Pawniard twins at his side.

Enigma laughed. So he was a coward!

With two swift warps, Enigma was on top of the Absol, bowling the feline onto his back. Harbinger lashed out with his claws and the two Pawniard rushed at him. Enigma placed his paw on the Absol's chest, reaching into his rib cage.

The Absol froze, his red eyes widening as they locked onto the Banette's.

Enigma looked up briefly at the Pawniard. "I'd stop if I were you. You don't want to be the reason I kill him... do you?"  
The Pawniard froze and took two steps back, their large eyes going from Harbinger to Enigma and back. One of them ran his claws together uncertainly, the shrill screech of metal cutting through the air.

Enigma turned his eyes back on the Absol. The disaster Pokemon sneered at him, flashing his canines. Enigma just laughed.

"Well, what do you know. I caught you." Enigma shrugged. "Are you going to tell me why you poisoned Harlequin? Or was the village really your target?"  
"Of course it was Harlequin!" Harbinger snapped. "The village was just an added bonus!"

"Oh, really!" Enigma feigned surprise. "Well, the village is fine. Harlequin is also fine. But what I find surprising..." He fastened his claws around one of Harbinger's ribs, causing the Absol to flinch, "is that I thought you and Harlequin were childhood friends."  
"Friends?!" the Absol spat. "He abandoned me!"

Enigma loosened his grip, his eyes wide with surprise. "Abandoned you?"

"Yes! To go and work with you scum in the Shadow Lands!" Harbinger let out a low growl, his lips pulling back from his teeth.

"Funny... he told me you were dead."  
Enigma was expecting the Absol to be surprised at his words, but his muzzle creased in a vicious snarl.

"He lied!" Harbinger roared. "He lied to me, he lied to you! He's a liar!"

Enigma chuckled, affirming his grip and causing Harbinger to let out a groan as his face grimaced in pain.

"Oh, he didn't lie to me. Let me think... who told you he'd gone to work in the Shadow Lands? A fat Honchkrow I'm assuming?"  
Harbinger was silent, but a look of recognition crossed his face.

Enigma chuckled. "Thought so. You see, that fat bird is a compulsive liar. _He's_ the one who lied to you._ He's_ the one who told Harlequin you were dead. Now... that poor Zorua has found out you're alive and is looking for you."  
Harbinger's eyes had lost the fire of rage, but his sneer still stood firm on his face.

"Ordinarily, I'd kill you for what you've done, but he's looking for you, expecting a happy reunion." Enigma lowered himself until he was almost nose to nose with the Absol. "I'll let you go alive if you promise to me you'll give him one."  
A gritty growl escaped Harbinger's throat. "I'm not promising _you_ anything!"

Enigma chuckled and sat back, staring down at his claws effortlessly nestling beyond the Absol's chest. "Pity... I really don't want to take your life." He let out a sigh. "Harlequin would never forgive me." He shrugged. "Oh well. At least I know the truth."

Harbinger let out a howl as Enigma tugged at one of his ribs.

"Stop it!"

He froze, looking up at the Pawniard twins. One of them had approached him and stood protectively beside the helpless Absol.

"Please, stop..." He looked down at Harbinger. "You can't kill him. He's all we've got."  
Enigma stared at him, his grip on the Absol loosening. The Pawniard's words had been a little close to home.

He frowned. "You're just as responsible, kid."

"We're sorry." The Pawniard looked back at his nervous brother who nodded briskly. "If we'd known... if Harbinger had known... we wouldn't have done that... it was wrong." He paused and shifted closer to the Absol. "Please... don't kill him."  
Enigma let out a sigh and released the Absol, letting his claws slide harmlessly back out of his body. He stood up and took a step back.

Harbinger flipped himself up onto his feet and snapped, his jaws closing around Enigma's paw.

The Banette let out a yell, snatching his paw back as Harbinger sprang away from him. The Absol's fur was on end, his tail held low. The two Pawniard scurried backwards to join him, their eyes not leaving Enigma.

He looked down at his paw, red blood coating his grey fur. He clutched it tightly as he watched the Absol turn away and sprint across the snow, vanishing into the mountains.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	52. Tyrix

**A/N - Things start to fall into place and make sense as we come towards the climax of part 4. I like how some things start to fall into place in this chapter.**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

52 – Tyrix

Faith collapsed against the iron gate, the flames from her horn's jaws fizzling out as she slid down it, exhausted. A deep echoing clang reverberated through the ground and faded away, causing Spark to stare at the floor with a raised eyebrow.

"What are these things made of?" Faith gasped out.

Spark raised a claw. "I can try the lock again?"

Cleo looked down at the little Dedenne. Spark was perfectly able to slip between the bars, which a standard sized Dedenne would have had trouble with. However, she refused to leave them.

"Spark, do you want to see if you can find help?" Cleo suggested, and not for the first time.

Spark shook her head sharply. "I told you, Cleo, I'm not risking running around in here! These are cells. Why do they have them?"

"She has a point, Cleo," said Faith. "We were told the Pokemon on Fire Island decided to keep themselves to themselves. They might not welcome strangers with friendly smiles."

Cleo grit her teeth and looked back up at the hole in the ceiling. The dust had settled now, and a small ray of dim light trickled down between the branches of the fallen tree. The sun was setting. If the Pokemon on this island were nocturnal, they would probably find out very soon.

"What about Reshiram?" Spark asked.

"That's a good point," said Faith. "I worry he'd get stuck trying to help us out, but we are really out of options now."  
"I agree." Cleo reached into her bag for the long white feather. "If it comes to it, I can always lift him with psychic." She stared down at the feather. She'd never lifted a Pokemon of Reshiram's size before, and she was doubting she'd be able to do it.

Her train of thought was interrupted by a jumble of clanging noises from deep in the tunnel. All three pairs of eyes looked to the right as the noise grew with intensity and faded away. It wasn't dissimilar to the noise they'd heard when they struck the ground. The same noise had reverberated through the cells with each attack Faith had thrown at the bars, ringing out through the tunnel like an alarm. As it faded away, heavy footsteps slapped the floor, growing louder as they moved closer and closer.

Shadows flickered up the walls, shrinking as an orange light moved with a swaying motion towards them. A dark shadow beneath it turned and fixed two ruby eyes onto them. It was difficult to make out the towering Pokemon's face, but the orange flames on its back lit up a pair of glistening canines as its face twisted into a sneer.

"Outsiders!" The Pokemon's heavily masculine voice boomed out, causing the three Pokemon to back away from the bars. A flicker of flames shot out from between his teeth, lighting up his face enough for them to make out the pointed muzzle of a Typhlosion. "What are you even doing here?!"

"We were..." Cleo's voice cracked as the Typhlosion's intimidating glare focused on her, and she paused to clear her throat. "We were looking for a fire Pokemon to help us."  
"Help you?!" He tried to mask an amused smirk behind a sneer. "Not enough fire Pokemon on the main land?"  
Faith glanced back at Cleo then took a step towards the Typhlosion.

"Fire Island was suggested to us," she explained. "So we came to search here."  
"A Mawile?" The Typhlosion's muzzle crinkled with disgust. "Some nerve you've got coming here, with that glaring weakness of yours!"

A stream of flames shot from his mouth and Faith took a small step back, her eyes watching the ground glow red for a moment before the intense heat flizzled away.

Cleo placed a paw on Faith's shoulder and gave her an apologetic look before turning her attention back on the snarling Typhlosion.

"We're sorry we disturbed you," she said. "If you let us out of here, we'll leave. We'll go back to the main land and never return."  
"No." Faith removed Cleo's paw from her shoulder, keeping her eyes on the large fire Pokemon. "He might be the one we're looking for."  
"You're kidding!" squeaked Spark with a nod at the Typhlosion. "This guy?"

The Typhlosion's ruby eyes snapped down to Spark. His mouth twisted into a huge grin and he doubled over as he exploded into a fit of laughter. His paws clutched at his stomach and he screwed his eyes shut, uncontrollable giggles shaking his body.

"Would you look at you!" he panted, fixing one eye on Spark. "I've never seen... a Pokemon so small!"

Spark frowned and small jolts of electricity danced over her whiskers.

The Typhlosion's laughter came to an abrupt stop as a dry cough racked his body, and large clouds of black smoke shot out of his mouth with each violent burst. The flames on his back went out with a flash, plunging the cells into darkness, nothing more than that weak light from the darkening sky making everything look grey.

Any attempt to shock him left Spark's mind and she looked up at Cleo and Faith.

"Are you all right?" Faith asked.

"Back off!" the Typhlosion snarled.

"Never!" Faith gripped the bars of the cell, fixing her violet eyes on the Typhlosion's. "You're clearly sick. We can help you."  
"I have all the help I need! I don't need it from some outsider like you."

"I think you do," said Cleo. "We have berries, and meat. I didn't see many of them on our climb through the mountains." She reached into her bag and pulled out a sitrus berry, handing it through the bars to the Typhlosion. "Here. All Pokemon eat sitrus and oran berries when they need strength, and we have plenty."

The shadow of the Typhlosion's large body rose up slightly as he fixed his eyes on the large, orange fruit.

"Are you trying to bribe your way out of here?" he growled.

"No." Cleo pushed the berry forwards. "You can leave us in here all you want. Just take it."

The fire Pokemon laughed bitterly and pushed himself to his feet. "I could take everything from you, even your lives."

"But you won't," said Cleo. "Or you would have done so by now."

She paused as the Typhlosion stared down at them, his body hunched forwards as his breath came in quick, uneven bursts.

"I've met Pokemon who do want to kill us," she said. "They don't exactly give you a chance to speak."

"Unless they want information," added Spark. She looked up at the large Pokemon. "Is that what you want? Information?"

The Typhlosion snorted and turned his head sharply away from them.

"Didn't think so," said Spark.

A loud click echoed through the cell, causing the iron bars to vibrate. The gate lurched outwards, almost dragging Faith and Cleo off their feet. The Typhlosion stood in the open doorway, leering down at them.

"Go."

The small group of Pokemon moved out of the cell and stood in the dimly lit tunnel, looking left and right. The Typlosion gave a small, exasperated sigh.

"Sorry," said Cleo. "Which way do we go?"

"This way." The Typhlosion turned and moved away through the tunnel.

Cleo, Faith and Spark exchanged glances before following after him. His movements were slow and sluggish, and his large paws slapped heavily against the floor. What had once sounded like a large, strong Pokemon stomping down the tunnel was now clearly the sound of a tired, sick Pokemon trudging along with what strength they had left in their body.

The tunnel turned sharply upwards, revealing a set of stairs carved out of the blotchy, grey stone that was prevalent in these volcanic mountains. The Typhlosion dragged himself up them, grunting with the effort. As he reached the top, he stood aside and pointed at a large opening just ahead of him. Another flight of stony steps were lit up with the dwindling rays of the setting sun.

"There," he grumbled. "You're out."

Cleo looked back at him to thank him, but her words froze in her mouth. In this light, she could now make out his appearance. His mouth hung open as he gasped for breath from the exertion of climbing the stairs. What alarmed her the most was she could count each of his ribs through his dull and dirty fur.

"Goodness!" gasped Faith. "When did you last eat something?"  
He pulled his lips back from his teeth and let out a low, rumbling growl.

"Stop it!" Cleo snapped. She reached into her bag and pulled out their provisions. "I want you to help yourself. Take as much as you need."

The Typhlosion stared down at the assorted berries and dried fish as Cleo unwrapped them on the dry ground. His eyes snapped back up to hers and flashed his canines.

"I don't need your pity."  
"It's not pity," she said flatly. "Take it as a thank you for leading us out of here."

"Yes," said Spark. "And please take some back to your friends too."

The Typhlosion looked at Spark and the flames on his shoulders erupted into life. He let out a roar, causing the Dedenne to flinch into Cleo's fur. But his voice cut off as his body swayed, the flames going out once more as he flopped into the tunnel wall. He struggled to catch his breath as he slid to the ground, his fur dragging up dark dirt from the dry, sooty walls.

Faith leapt to his side and placed a paw on his shoulder. She looked up at Cleo.

"Can you carry him? We need to get him somewhere more comfortable."

"I can try." Cleo unfurled her ears, watching Spark as she leapt onto the floor to safety. "But I don't know where his room is."

"All we can do is try." Faith quickly gathered up the berries and meat and popped them into Cleo's bag. "I'm not wanting to leave him though, he's in desperate need of help."  
Spark watched the Typhlosion rise into the air in a bubble of purple light. "It's just so sad he's got too much pride to accept it... and it's led to this." She let out a wistful sigh. "I actually want to cry."

Faith scooped Spark up in her paws, causing her to let out a squeak of surprise. She held the Dedenne to her chest and moved down to the corridor, letting Cleo fall into pace behind her as she checked each of the rooms and tunnels they passed by. Cleo thought for a brief moment she could see tears in the Mawile's eyes.

...

The Typhlosion lay on a pile of stale hay. Faith had spotted the room as they navigated the complicated tunnels. The room was further underground than they had been previously, possibly on the same level as the cells.

Spark stood aside, her electricity lighting the room as Cleo searched for some sitrus berries in her bag. The Typhlosion was still alive, but Cleo was anxious he might not wake up any time soon. Reshiram was waiting for them, and she didn't want to make him worry if they took too long.

"It's a shame we don't still have Harlequin with us," said Spark. "Her bitter herbs would wake him right back up."

"I know," said Cleo. "Depsite the bitterness, they're oddly invigorating."

She pulled out two sitrus berries and set them on the ground, giving a look over her shoulder at Faith. The Mawile was stood in the entrance to the room, looking absently down the dark, empty corridor. She'd been silent since they'd found this room, and during their walk through the winding tunnels any words from her had been few and far between.

"Are you all right, Faith?" she asked.

"Hmm?" Faith looked back at her and let out a small sigh. "I've just been putting the pieces together. The emptiness of the mountains and these tunnels... his reaction when Spark suggested he take some food back to his friends rang out as clear as day. He's alone here."

Cleo glanced down at the Typhlosion. Faith had a point. This Pokemon very likely was alone. They'd not seen any evidence to support otherwise.

"Do you think that's why he's been so aggressive?" Spark asked. "He's not used to company?"

"I think it might run a lot deeper than that," said Faith. "He didn't seem to trust us."

"No," said Cleo. "But he was kind enough to show us the way out."

"I'm not saying he's a bad Pokemon," said Faith. "Quite the opposite. The thing is, he referred to us as 'outsiders'. All we know about Fire Island is what we were told – that they keep themselves to themselves. We've not been told why. Now we're here, and we find not an army of fire warriors, but a lone Typhlosion who's voluntarily starving to death."

"Voluntarily?" Spark's exclamation of surprise echoed off the bare walls.

"It's not like he can't leave the island. There are many ways to come and go," Faith explained. "I think there were problems with the main land. A fall out. Or a war. Something that's put a strain on the relationship between the inhabitants of Fire Island and those that live outside it."

"But we were told the Pokemon here migrated to the main land," said Cleo.

Faith folded her paws and leant against the wall. "We weren't told the reason why, though."

A snort of laughter came from the Typhlosion and they looked round at him. He was pushing himself up with his forepaws, his eyes still closed as he choked between bursts of laughter.

"You want to know why?" He opened one eye and leered at the Mawile. "I want to know why you haven't left."

"We weren't going to leave you in the state you're in," Faith told him.

"Why not?!" he roared.

"Why?!" Spark almost screamed. "Because we're not heartless!" She picked up a sitrus berry and waved it at him. "Now eat this before I force it down your neck!"

Faith placed both paws over her mouth and looked from the Dedenne to the Typhlosion.

The fire Pokemon's face softened from rage to confusion and he let out a small, amused laugh as he took the berry from Spark.

"Quite a feisty little pipsqueak aren't you?"

Electricity danced across Spark's whiskers and she folded her arms. "If you weren't so weak, I'd zap you for that remark."

He looked from one Pokemon to the next as he bit into the sitrus berry, the juices running over his chin and claws.

"I don't understand why you three are so insistent on helping me."

"Because you're sick," said Faith. "I already told you, we're not happy to leave you in this condition."

He snorted and lowered the berry. "Don't you blame me?"

"Blame you?" Faith gasped. "For what?"

"All that massacre." He waved a paw absently at the wall. "I thought you three, of all Pokemon, would bare the biggest grudge!"  
The three Pokemon exchanged confused glances before looking back at the Typhlosion.

"Oh old Tyrix did it!" The Typhlosion went on. "Tyrix raised an army of fire! Run for your lives!" He snorted and leant back against the wall, taking another bite out of the sitrus berry.

"Tyrix?" Spark's nose twitched. "I thought he was meant to be really old. But... you're not old."  
"My grandfather founded this island," he explained. "The name was passed on to my father, then to me."

"I'm confused," said Faith. "You say Tyrix raised an army of fire Pokemon. As far as we're aware, that's your grandfather. Why would you be to blame for any massacre?"

Tyrix looked from each of them as he licked the juices off his claws. "You two," he pointed to Cleo and Spark, "are from the Sparkling Forest."

Cleo felt her eyes widen. "Yes. How did you know that?"

"Because the Wildfires trashed the place."

Cleo felt her heart hit her stomach and her paws balled into fists.

Tyrix looked over at Faith. "As for you... I believe they also trashed the Iron Canyon."  
"I'm not from the Iron Canyon," she said flatly. "I'm from the Fairy Garden."

Tyrix's eyes widened and the berry he'd picked up fell into his lap and rolled onto the stale hay.

"Fairy Garden?" He blinked a few times and shook his head sharply. "Argh, that old tale. Pull the other one, Mawile! I know you're here for revenge."  
"I am not here for revenge," she said. "We came here looking for a fire Pokemon who can help us stop the Wildfires."

Tyrix threw his head back and laughed, but it was soon cut off by a series of violent coughs. Cleo fanned her paws near her face to avoid breathing in the thick, black smoke that gushed from his mouth.

"The Wildfires?!" He covered his mouth and cleared his throat, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "You think I can stop them?!"

"I don't know," said Faith. "Do you?"

"In my condition? You've seen the state of me!"  
Cleo's claws were digging into her pads. She unclenched them and looked up at the Typhlosion.

"Why do you think we're here for revenge?" she asked slowly. "When it wasn't you who burned down our home?"

Tyrix let out a single laugh and closed his eyes. "This place is called Fire Island. Haven't you put the pieces together yet?"

A metallic taste filled Cleo's mouth. She stared at the Typhlosion, waiting for him to elaborate. He seemed to take the hint as his face split into a bitter smirk.

"Years ago, fire Pokemon fled this island for the main land. They were sick of war, wanting to live peacefully with the other Pokemon. My grandfather's old tales stirred them, and they wanted peace. All but a group of nasty Houndour, one of which went by the name of Howlinger."

Cleo felt her jaw drop, but no words came out.

A loud exclamation from Spark cut into the sudden silence.

"You see, he's from here. We got the blame. I raised that foolish pup." Tyrix threw his large paws into the air. "His mother died when she had her litter. He was the only one that survived. A foolish little power-hungry canine with a sneer that could put other Pokemon off their berries. He wanted nothing more than to raise his own army and fight for the Darkness. He spat at the stories my grandfather told, and one day, he left this island. His howling army blazed through the forests on the main land as he took off for the Shadow Lands. And who got the blame?" Tyrix pointed a long claw at his chest. "I did. All because I raised that pup."

The room was silent for a moment. Cleo couldn't look at him. She seethed, her claws digging into her pads once more.

Finally, Faith's voice cut through the silence.

"It wasn't your fault."

Cleo flinched and silently kicked herself. Had she seriously been blaming this Typhlosion for a war that he hadn't even started?

"So you raised a Houndour," Faith went on. "One that didn't accept your morals. It's not remotely your fault! The damage he causes is his own doing."

"That's not how others see it." He turned his ruby eyes onto Faith. "I've had Pokemon come here looking for revenge. I can't even leave this place. Those cells you ended up in? Traps I had to set to save my own hide."  
"Yes, and you let us out." Faith smiled. "You couldn't have hurt us if you wanted to, could you?"  
Tyrix snorted and bit into another berry.

Cleo looked up at him. "Do you think you could take down the Wildfires, if you personally raised Howlinger?"

He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. "I don't know, little Meowstic. You've seen me?"

Cleo grimaced and clenched her paws into fists. "I understand. Maybe your _not_ the fire Pokemon Xerneas asked us to find." She turned away from him and marched to the door.

"Hang on."

Cleo looked back at the Typhlosion. He stared at her with a look of utter confusion, then looked down at Faith.

"You said you're from the Fairy Garden. And you said Xerneas sent you to find a fire Pokemon." He scratched his head as he looked at each of them. "Were the tales my grandfather used to tell me not really tales?"

Faith's face split into a jovial grin. "Of course they're not just tales!"

"Oh, wow!" He threw his paws into the air and let out a small laugh. "I'm not sure how to take this. I used to believe them as a hatchling, but after a while I thought they were just stories with good morals to get us to live good lives."

Cleo moved over to him, her eyes not leaving the Typhlosion. "Then why did you start an army?"

He fixed his ruby eyes on hers. "Do you even know what the fire warriors were?"

She blinked but said nothing.

"They were an army," Tyrix said slowly, "that was formed to help other Pokemon who needed it. My grandfather started it, and passed the torch down to my dad, who then passed it down to me. We went to the main land to help Pokemon who had fallen victim to the Darkness."

Faith clapped her paws together. "That sounds like a very noble deed!"

"Aye, it was! You see, back when the war first started, my grandfather was still young, so I don't remember it. But after I took over, it got much worse. Our help was gratefully accepted for many seasons... and then the Wildfires happened."

Cleo was silent, not looking at the Typhlosion. So this is where the Wildfires were from? Something so terrible was from a place that fought on the side of good?

"They sullied my name," Tyrix went on. "The Pokemon on the main land knew that they lived here, but they accepted the fact that not all dark and dragon type Pokemon are bad. Not all of them fight for the Darkness. But Howlinger led his army of Houndour across the land, burning down villages left and right, trying to gain favour with that blasted Hydreigon. Then, of course, the blame was pointed at me. Armies flocked to Fire Island with a grudge, trying to wipe us out. Those who had sense left, but I was the general. I was to blame." He let his paws fall into his lap and shook his head, laughing bitterly.

"That's why you stayed here," said Faith sadly.

He nodded. "Yup, that's why I stayed."

"And why you're voluntarily starving," said Cleo. She looked up at Tyrix and met his eyes. "Eat and get your strength back. You're beating Howlinger and his wretched army."

Tyrix snorted. "You think I can beat him?"

"You raised him," said Cleo. "You know his weaknesses."

Tyrix closed his eyes and chuckled. "Weaknesses?"

"He has them. We all do."

The Typhlosion was quiet for a moment, his eyes glazing over as he drifted into thought. After a long pause, he focused his eyes back onto Cleo. "Aye, that he does. He has a big one." He leant back against the wall and stared at her. "Can you guess what it is?"  
"No," she said flatly.

"His ego." Tyrix shrugged. "He has too much of an ego. Let it get to his head. He wanted his entire army to be clones of himself, so he selected only the Houndour that met his criteria. They all had to have the same skills, the same attacks – long range fire, close range dark. Unfortunately for him that meant none of them could stand to be inside their own flames. Those that run through them get burned."

"That's why they leave a trail of fire!" Spark gasped.

"Exactly! They burn things as they run through them." Tyrix leant forward on his knees. "I, on the other hand, am completely able to stand inside their flames. Fire doesn't hurt me like it does them."

Cleo blinked at him in confusion. "What does that mean?"

"Oh, very simple, little Meowstic." Tyrix grinned widely. "Fire gives me strength."

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	53. Frozen Honey

**A/N - This is much later in the day than I like to update. Busy busy Del. I've been working away at chapter 69 most of the afternoon and now I'm having a break. I still can't believe I'm almost done with this story D=**

**The next update this week will be Thursday. I won't have access to internet for the weekend. Things should go back to normal from Monday.**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

53 – Frozen Honey

The young Mothim climbed up the cold bark of the evergreen tree. Lightning had struck it at some point in its life, and the top was entirely missing, giving the tree a squared-off appearance. Burnt branches spiked away from the trunk at dramatic angles, but despite having been almost entirely destroyed by a storm, green leaves still clung on to it here and there.

What the Mothim was after lay inside the tree's hollowed out top. A hive of Combee had once inhabited it, and even though it had been abandoned for a little while, he knew some honey still remained.

He poked his head through the hole and closed his eyes as he let out a disappointed sigh. Sure, there was honey, but the blizzard had crystallized it. It would take some time to carve it out into his bucket. Did he have that time?  
He dragged his head out of the hole and looked back over his shoulder, and his heart almost froze in his chest.

Flying at him was a flock of Murkrow. Angry caws screamed from their mouths as his eyes locked onto them, causing his muscles to lock up. He clutched at the tree trunk like a life line, and his eyes slowly widened.

This was it.

This was how he was going to die.

He closed his eyes and braced himself for the impact.

But it never came.

A bright flash lit up the sky and he opened his eyes again. A large number of Murkrow dropped from the sky and hit the snow-covered ground with a series of soft thuds.

"Go!"

He looked up, but his vision was obscured by another bright flash of pink and purple.

"Go on! Get out of here!"  
The Mothim shook himself and fell from the tree, spreading his wings and fluttering away into the mountains.

Ordinarily he wouldn't need telling twice.

However, he regretted not getting a good look at the Pokemon who'd saved his life.

...

Harlequin checked through her bag one last time. Everything was intact – various antidotes, the mounted Nidoking horn, a selection of berries and dried meats... nothing seemed to be missing.

Satisfied, she threw the bag over her shoulder.

"Are you sure you're okay to leave now?" Elsa asked.

Harlequin fixed her with a sapphire gaze and nodded. "Yes, I am. Thank you again for helping me. I can't repay you enough."  
"Like I said, Harlequin, you owe me nothing." The Lilligant gave her a warm smile. "I trust you're going to try to find Enigma?"

Harlequin nodded. "Yes. I don't know where he'll be, however. But our paths tend to cross quite frequently."

"I hope you do find him. He'll probably be worried sick."

Harlequin clenched her jaw and stared out of the window. Worried sick... she didn't really need to be reminded of his reaction. It had distressed her enough. Where would he be now? And why had he chosen not to come back for her? Had he gone on a mad revenge spree?

Elsa's voice cut through her thoughts, dragging her back to the present. "Before you leave, I want to give you this. Just in case."

Harlequin stared at the vial held out to her in Elsa's leafy paw. Her jaw dropped and she shook her head slowly.

"No... I can't take it. What if you need it? The river... it's still contaminated, isn't it?"  
Elsa continued to smile. "I've told you, we have a spring. We don't need to use the river. Besides, the Pokemon in this village are working on cleaning it up, and the ones that are aren't affected by poison."

Harlequin was speechless. She looked back down at the vial, her mouth agape.

"I want you to take it, Harlequin. You don't have one, and it might come in use."

Harlequin closed her eyes and gave a small nod. She took the vial in her jaws and deposited it carefully into her bag.

"Thank you," she said with a smile.

Elsa chuckled. "Besides, you do carry a Nidoking horn on you. Whatever would you do if you caught yourself on it?"  
Harlequin laughed and made for the stairs. "I've been careful enough so far."

"I suggest you be extra careful now, and not just with your poisons."  
Harlequin looked back at her. "What?"

"The village. They were rather cold to you and your friend. You were both under my protection so long as you remained in the village, but now you are leaving, they might retaliate against you."  
Harlequin gave her a half-smile. "Don't worry. I have my illusion to take care of that."  
"I think you'll need to use it. At least until you are far enough away from here to move around safely." Elsa paused and gave her a reassuring smile. "I believe you've changed your ways, but others will need some time to realise that."

"I understand." Harlequin gazed out of the window. "I want them to realise it but I understand it will take a while." She paused, frowning as she listened to the sounds of Pokemon chatting outside. "The Zangoose are out of town, aren't they?"

"Yes, they'll be by the river. Why do you ask?"

"I'm going to borrow his form for a while."

Harlequin cast her a glance, then allowed her illusion to distort her form into that of a Zangoose. The sudden change took Elsa by surprise and she covered her mouth with one of her long leaves.

Harlequin laughed. "Yes, it can be a little alarming. Thanks again, Elsa. Maybe I'll see you again?"

Elsa removed her paw and smiled. "Maybe, you never know. Take care, Harlequin."

Harlequin nodded and trotted down the stairs, slipping out of Elsa's door. The Lilligant had followed her, and waved briefly as Harlequin moved away through the town, not looking back. Anything she did now had to reflect that of the Zangoose. Looking back at Elsa's house would only highlight the fact she'd just left it. She didn't know if the Zangoose visited the Lilligant or not.

She broke into a run and left the town gate. Not one of the other Pokemon gave her a second glance, probably assuming the Zangoose was on his way to help with the river, and had needed to return home for some reason or another.

Outside the village was quiet, like many of the surrounding areas. Finding Enigma's scent trail wasn't too difficult. It was faint, but clung to the trodden down snow, a repetitive trail leading from the gate to the river as the Pokemon had gone back and forth from their task. As she ran along it, it wasn't long before she spotted the group of Pokemon beside the river – two Zangoose and a Gliscor. Great, she couldn't exactly run by disguised as one of them.

She deviated off the path, heading for the mountain side. Unfortunately it meant abandoning the scent trail. If she wanted to find Enigma now, she needed to get high up enough to spot him. And there was no telling where he'd be.

She paused in the shade of an evergreen tree, staring down at the busy Pokemon. A fallen tree acted as a bridge across the river, the very one that had been hiding the Nidoking. There was no sign of the Nidoking's body, just a patch of pale red and diluted poison blemishing the white snow.

She took in a sharp breath and looked up at the trees on the other side, narrowing her eyes as she strained to see past them. If he'd wanted to find the Nidoking's killer, he'd have wanted to find the body. And if he'd got to it before they moved it, he'd probably still be on the other side.

Harlequin tutted and snapped her eyes away, looking up into the mountain. She'd need to either wait until that group of Pokemon went home, or find another way around. Staying here would only increase her chances of being spotted, and she couldn't hold onto this illusion indefinitely.

She let it fade, taking back the comfortable form of an oddly-coloured Zorua. With a small skip, she scaled up the side of the mountain, moving as carefully as she could to avoid alerting the Zangoose and Gliscor.

The higher she climbed, the more disheartened she felt. There was no other way across the river.

...

Enigma had watched the group of Pokemon move the Nidoking's carcass elsewhere. Wherever it was, he hadn't seen. Between them, it had been a cumbersome task, taking all three of them to carry it away from the river.

He hadn't planned to move away, but his run-in with Harbinger had caused him some distress. That Absol had tried to kill Harlequin. Tried and failed.

And he knew he'd failed.

Enigma had been the one to tell him that.

If Harlequin's life was at risk again, it was _his_ fault. If Harbinger tried another assassination on the Zorua, Enigma only had himself to blame. If he hadn't said anything, then that Absol would think his plan had succeeded.

Enigma leant back against the tree, covering his face with his paws.

He felt dizzy. His heart was racing. The desire to track down that Absol and put his nasty plot to an end warred with his desire to protect Harlequin's feelings.

He was Harlequin's friend... _friend_.

Then there was those two Pawniard kids... and they'd been a part of it.

His heart lurched into his throat and he clenched his fist, striking it against the thick trunk of an evergreen. The branches above him rustled and swayed, dropping a sprinkle of snow onto the ground beside him.

The dizziness subsided into a dull buzz, clouding his thoughts and masking his judgement. It was becoming difficult to make any rational decisions.

All he wanted to do was track down that Absol.

He grimaced and leant back against the tree, sliding down onto the ground. He groaned and placed his head in his paws.

Was his desire to track down Harbinger really linked to Harlequin? It didn't feel like it. He didn't like to think back at all those lives he'd taken, but it never felt anything like this. It had often been impulsive, or defensive, and at first followed by a sick feeling of guilt.

If he was to liken this feeling to anything it would be the urge to give chase, to go on a mad rampage.

Madness.

He retreated into himself and stared blankly at the mottled trunks of the opposite trees. Madness... this wasn't him. It was that ridiculous Pokerus.

He flinched and screwed his eyes shut, clasping at his knees. Images of that Tyranitar and the maniacal Whimsicott filled his mind. Was this what happened to them? Did this Pokerus take control of their minds?

If he went back to Harlequin now, he'd be putting his life at risk.

He took a few steadying breaths and dragged himself to his feet. There was no way he was going back to Harlequin like this.

No...

He was going back to Border Woods to find that laboratory, and put an end to their insane experiments, before it went too far.

He let out a small growl. The frightening question was... what was 'too far'?

...

The green trees thinned out as the ground began to level out. Harlequin paused to look around at the landscape. After a trek down the rocky mountainside, having her paws on flat ground was a welcome change. She'd headed back up the river, putting the small group of Pokemon behind her, but there'd been no sign of another way across anywhere. In the end, she'd decided to venture back down it, but she'd not been expecting this.

Her eyes fell on the bedraggled trunk of a tree, weathered from a storm and its top completely broken away. There was evidence it had been struck by lightning, as the edges of the splintered bark were singed a dark grey. It wasn't the tree that interested her though. It was the Pokemon clinging to it, his upper torso stuffed into a hole. A pair of yellow and orange wings poked out, occasionally twitching, and he was muttering to himself.

Harlequin padded over to him, her paws crunching over the soft snow. The Mothim didn't seem to hear her, however. She stopped and sat down, inclining her head on one side.

"Excuse me?"

The Mothim's wings went rigid and his mutters came to a sharp stop. He dragged his head out of the hole and fixed a pair of orange eyes on her, his entire body stiffening as his large eyes became wider and wider.

"Do you know of a way across this river?" she asked.

The Mothim stuttered, his paws clutching the tree's bark with such intensity it started to peel away.

"I'm sorry, you clearly recognise me," said Harlequin. "I should explain... I don't work for the Darkness any more. I'm just looking for a friend."

"Friend?" The Mothim's pupils flicked from left to right as he checked the clearing for this 'friend' Harlequin spoke of.

"You might not believe me, and I can understand that. But I can assure you this is not a trick." She paused, watching as the moth Pokemon began to shake. "I can tell you one thing, though. The river's poisoned. I suggest you stay away from it for a while."

"The river?" He looked at her then fixed his eyes at a spot above her shoulder. "I don't use the river. There's more than one water source..." He trailed off and became fidgety. Of course... if he believed she was an assassin, revealing such information could result in his death.

Harlequin sighed. "I'm sorry. I've clearly bothered you. I'll leave you in peace." She stood and turned her back on him, heading back the way she'd come.

"You mentioned a friend."

She stopped and looked back over her shoulder. The Mothim still appeared fidgety, but he was now looking straight at her.

"Erm..." He glanced away. "Have you lost someone?"

Harlequin shrugged. "You could say that. I've recently found out he's alive, and I'm desperate to find him. I believe he might be on the other side of the mountains. Do you know how I can get across the river?" She sat back down and gave a small laugh. "Without going back the way I came?"

"A way across..." The Mothim stuck a paw back into the hole then dropped to the floor, clutching a small bucket to his chest. "I don't know the river that well, I live here. But I... I _have_ found a lost, wandering Pokemon recently."

Harlequin stared at him, her mind reeling with the possibilities. It was rather unlikely it would be Harbinger, but...

"You've found someone?"

The Mothim nodded. "Yes... he seems quite unwell. I... I'm not sure what to do."  
Harlequin felt her heart lurch. The river... "Is he poisoned?!"

"I don't know."

She rose to her feet sharply, causing the Mothim to jump into the air. "Show me."

He nodded briskly and flapped his wings, fluttering away from her. She trotted after him, struggling to keep up. The bug Pokemon was fast, and exceptionally agile. He managed to flit around trees at a hair's breadth. Without warning, he vanished into a hole inside a rocky mound.

Harlequin screeched to a halt and peered inside. The Mothim was stood looking back at her. He closed his eyes briefly and nodded to a Pokemon sprawled out on the ground, its fluffy head lolling to one side and its chest rising and falling steadily. She gasped and stepped into the cave, not taking her eyes off the unconscious Pokemon.

"Mischief?"

...

**He's back! Yay! =D**

**Please R&amp;R!**


	54. A Daunting Realisation

**A/N - early update, like I promised. Next one will be Monday evening.**

**Thanks to all new reviews, faves and follows! =D**

**Since it's been asked, I'm going to mention this here. For those who aren't completely familiar with the later Pokemon games, all Zorua and Zoroark can use Illusion. It's a pretty awesome and unique ability that no other Pokemon (as of yet) has. All it does is change their appearance. Their type and attacks stay the same. Harlequin's works like it does in the anime, where they can take on any form they want whenever they want, whereas in the games it's whichever Pokemon is in the back of the party. Harle just does't use it very often.**

**By the way, there are many many Pokemon that I love. But despite my username, Mothim is my favourite. It saddens me that he's so unloved =(**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

54 – A Daunting Realisation

"You know this Pokemon?" The Mothim fixed Harlequin with wide, orange eyes and raised an eyebrow.

Harlequin gave a curt nod. "Yes. He's friends with the Outcasts I recently parted from."

"Is he poisoned?"

She watched the Whimsicott as he lay unconscious, breathing steadily. He didn't seem to be struggling, so she could rule out poisoning.

Although it was pretty clear why he was currently out cold.

She shook her head. "Where did you find him?"

The Mothim placed his small bucket on the floor. Harlequin glanced a pool of sticky, crystallized golden honey almost filling it to the brim.

"I found him after some Murkrow attacked me," he explained. "I didn't get a good look at the Pokemon that saved me. I was told to run, so I ran. When I came back after all the chaos had subsided, all that was left of the Murkrow were some bodies and scattered feathers. And amongst them was him." He nodded at the Whimsicott.

Harlequin moved closer to Mischief and nudged him with her paw. He didn't so much as grumble.

"When?" she asked.  
"Just earlier this morning." The Mothim fidgeted his paws together and looked out at the burnt tree. "I've cleared it up since then. I can verify what was left of the Murkrow were dead. As for him... I checked him over, but other than a small scratch he's not taken any injuries."  
Harlequin cast her eyes over the Whimsicott. The only scratch she could see was one over his right eye, but it didn't look new. She turned her back on him and made her way back outside.

"Where are you going?" the Mothim asked. "Isn't he your friend?"

"He's not the Pokemon I'm looking for." She glanced back at the Mothim. "Don't worry about him. He'll wake up soon."  
"But it's the cold season," the Mothim explained. "Won't he...?"

Harlequin stared at the Mothim as he glanced from Mischief to her and rubbed his paws together.

"Yes. How do _you_ stay warm?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I used to hibernate but that's not a safe option any more."  
"Plus you're alone."  
The Mothim closed his eyes and let out a small sigh. "I never used to be. But a little while back, a group of Weavile and Murkrow ran through this area and wiped out what was left of the Combee hive." He pointed to the burned tree.

Harlequin sat down and stared out at the hollowed tree. A Combee hive... so the young Mothim was harvesting what was left of their honey.

"This will be your first cold season alone?"

The Mothim nodded. "Yes."

Harlequin stared down at the ground and traced her paw through the snow. Alone... a young Mothim who'd just been attacked by a flock of Murkrow. If Mischief hadn't spotted them, then the poor Pokemon wouldn't have survived.

And now he was preparing himself to face the cold alone...

"Okay." Harlequin stood and moved back into the cave. "Let's help Mischief on his feet. Once he's recovered, we'll move you on to the little Outcast village nearby."

"Village?" The Mothim's large eyes widened. "Oh... I've never been to a village. I don't know..."

Harlequin frowned at him. "Do you honestly want to stay in this freezing mountain alone?"

He shook his head sharply. "No. But I don't have a choice-"

"You have a choice. You move on. Over the years, Pokemon have been grouping to live together behind walls. Out here alone, you're a target. And I think today proved that to you."  
The Mothim sat down heavily and stuffed his paw into his little bucket. When he removed it, it was covered in a sticky, lumpy honey which he licked off, his eyes unfocusing as he entered a deep thought.

"You're right," he said finally.

Harlequin smiled. "What's your name?"  
The Mothim turned to look at her. "Flutterwick."

"Well, Flutterwick." Harlequin moved over to Mischief and stared down at him. "You were right about one thing. This Pokemon is indeed sick, and he's currently looking for a cure. I'm wondering if you might be able to help him."

Flutterwick stared at her wordlessly, his paw resting inside the little bucket.

"He has Pokerus," Harlequin explained. "That's why he's fallen unconscious."

"Pokerus?" Flutterwick closed his eyes as he laughed. "That's not a dangerous condition!"

"This version of it is. It causes the Pokemon that has it to go into bouts of madness. That's why he told you to run."

Flutterwick's eyes widened slowly as he stared up into Harlequin's blue ones.

"Yes." She looked away from him to cast another glance back down at Mischief. "He wasn't telling you to run from the Murkrow. He was getting you far away from himself."

"Oh..." The Mothim's eyes went to the exit and he shifted his weight around, knocking over the bucket. "So I... I'm sat here with _two_ dangerous Pokemon..."

"I suppose giving you my word I won't hurt you is pointless given my reputation," Harlequin said quickly. "But it's there nontheless. As for him... well, he wouldn't have told you to run would he?"

There was a small clatter as Flutterwick corrected his bucket. "I'm sorry. I don't know of a cure."

"I feared as much." Harlequin turned and made for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I need some air. Keep an eye on him, will you?"

A long groan froze Harlequin in her tracks and she looked back. Flutterwick had rose to his feet, his eyes locked on the Whimsicott. Mischief rubbed a paw over his head and pushed himself up, blinking as he took in his surroundings.

"Where am I?" His eyes went to the Mothim then found her. "Harlequin?" His orange eyes shot wide open and he leapt to his feet. "Cleo?!"  
Harlequin blocked Mischief's exit, keeping her eyes on his. "Forget it. She's not here."

"What?" He stood staring at her then his jaw dropped and he took a step back, his eyes turning fierce. "You're _free_? What did you do with her?!"  
"Nothing!" Harlequin flashed her canines and her voice caused Mischief's expression to be replaced by one of surprise. "She let me go. She had to, so I could save Spark."

Mischief's paws fell to his side but he didn't take his eyes off the Zorua.

"Then... where is she?"

Flutterwick appeared at his side, looking from Mischief to Harlequin and back.

"I don't know," Harlequin said flatly. "I left after you did."

Mischief frowned. "So she removes your collar and you instantly leave them?"  
"I didn't instantly leave them! Besides, I had to. I need to find Harbinger to return his mega stone."  
"Mega stone?" Flutterwick's eyes went to the stone around Harlequin's neck.

"Harbinger... you mean that Absol," said Mischief.

Harlequin's mouth fell open and she stared at Mischief, not sure if she'd heard him correctly.

"How did you know he's an Absol?" she asked.

Mischief went quiet and looked away from her, his paws restless at his sides.

"An Absol?" Flutterwick scratched his chin. "I saw one in the mountains recently. I'm not sure if it's the same one, but..."

A huge smile split Harlequin's face and she bounced on her toes. "It might be! Thank you, Flutterwick! I... I have to go and look for him."

She turned and bolted through the door, but Mischief's voice froze her.

"Wait! Harlequin! I... don't think you should go and look for him."

She looked back at him. "Why not? He's my friend."

"I didn't get that impression when I met him..."

"Wait..." Harlequin took a step towards the Whimsicott. "You met him? When?!"

"After Enigma attacked us."

Flutterwick let out a small squeak of surprise.

"I woke up and there he was," Mischief went on.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Harlequin hissed.

"Because he's not happy with you," Mischief explained. "Like I said. I don't think you should go looking for him."

"Not happy with me?" Harlequin laughed. "We're friends!"

Harlequin's smile fell at the stern expression in Mischief's eyes. She looked away from him and let out a small, "oh..."

"He's not happy at all," Mischief told her. He hesitated over his words and averted his gaze. "He wants to kill you."

Harlequin's mouth opened and closed feebly and she fell back down to her haunches. Wanted to kill her? But... they were friends... weren't they?

She closed her eyes and grit her teeth, a low groan escaping between them. Of course... she'd become an assassin working for Hydreigon. He hated that dragon. Friends or not, anyone who worked for him would be considered an enemy by Harbinger.

He wanted to kill her...

And he was in the mountains...

Her eyes flew open and she locked them onto the Mothim. He let out a yelp and took a step back.

"You said you saw an Absol in the mountains. When?"

"Ah! Erm... about two nights ago..."  
Harlequin leapt to her feet and looked out at the frozen landscape. She couldn't see the river from here, but that was where she'd been camping out with Enigma. That's where the river was poisoned. A Nidoking... her mind drifted to the purple horn tucked safely away in her bag. Was this too much of a coincidence?

"He did it..."

The words had escaped her mouth no sooner had she thought them.

"He did what?" Mischief asked.

"He poisoned the river."

Mischief stuttered. "The Seviper remains?"

"No." Harlequin swallowed drily. That was right. There were two poisoned rivers. "Actually, I'm not going to dismiss that."

"Then what are you talking about?"

"The river in these mountains has been poisoned with a Nidoking's carcass," she explained. "Nidoking poison is one I'm well known for using, as it's hard to find an anti-venom for. The body was thrown in the river, hidden behind a fallen tree, right near where Enigma and I were sleeping."

"Enigma?" Mischief gasped.

Harlequin rounded on him. "Can we focus?" She sighed and turned away. "You're missing the point. You said he wants to kill me." Her voice cracked and she took in a ragged breath. "Well he probably thinks he already has."

...

A soft whistling sound came from the feather in Cleo's paws as she blew through it. She stood with Faith and Spark on the top step leading up to a hole in the ceiling. It was wide enough for a Pokemon of Cleo's size to climb through, and Tyrix would have had to wriggle if he'd used this point as an exit.

_"__Do you think you'll be ready to leave tomorrow?" Cleo had asked Tyrix._

_The Typhlosion shrugged. "I might be. I can tell you after a little rest."_

_Faith looked at her. "Do we have enough provisions for all of us?"_

_Cleo checked through her bag. "For another day at least."  
Spark made a small squeak._

_"__I'd feel cheeky asking this of him," said Cleo, "but if Reshiram could fit anywhere on this island we could reach him, we might be able to ask him to gather some for us."_

_"__That's not a bad idea," said Faith._

_"__Reshiram?" Tyrix gasped. "There's a dragon on my island?"_

_Faith laughed. "He's a friend. He brought us here."_

_"__You're gonna tell me he's from the Fairy Garden next as well!"_

_Faith beamed. "Actually, he is!"_

_The Typhlosion chuckled. "All right. Well, if you need a space for him to land, there is the old Charizard training grounds a short walk away."_

It wasn't long before heavy wingbeats could be heard on the wind. This point, Tyrix had told them, would be suitable for a large flying Pokemon to land and take off again. His army had included Charizard, significantly smaller than Reshiram, but groups of them used to use this area of Fire Island for training due to the space it provided. It was obscured by large, rocky mounds that rose up in an erratic pattern which had hidden the training Pokemon from view of enemy dragon and dark Pokemon that may have been scouting the area. It wouldn't have been until they were right over the island that they'd see the training fire Pokemon, and by then they would be prepared to defend themselves.

A thud resounded through the ceiling and Reshiram's large white face appeared in the hole.

"Well hello! Have you found who you were looking for?"

"Actually yes," said Cleo. "But he's in bad shape. Would you be able to fly back to the mainland and pick up some provisions for us?"

"Of course! Anything to help you! Just berries, or do you want meat as well?"

"A good mix I think," said Cleo.

"And if you can find some cheri berries..." Spark grinned at him.

Reshiram chuckled. "I'll see what I can do! I'll be back here as soon as I can."

In one swift motion, he had vanished from sight and the rumbling sound of his tail flaring up thrummed against Cleo's eardrums.

She caught a smile off Faith and the Mawile led them back down the stairs.

A sick feeling spread through Cleo's stomach. It wouldn't be long now. Soon, they'd be facing off against the Wildfires.

...

"Not far now. It's just past this ridge."

Harlequin skipped down the mountain side, Mischief's light-footed gait springing behind her. Flutterwick kept himself behind them, his wings whipping up the air as he fluttered at their pace.

"You say this village helped you?" said Mischief. "So they won't be surprised to see you?"

"Oh they won't welcome me," Harlequin explained. "So I'll need to use an illusion. Something that won't arouse suspicion... so that rules out any Pokemon that live in the village, because if we're there too long, and they show up..."

She paused and glanced at the river. Where she expected the two Zangoose and Gliscor to be working, there was no one. Maybe they'd cleared the poison away already? With the help of the flow of the water, it wouldn't have taken anywhere near as long as it would to clear a lake, so it wasn't much of a surprise. That was encouraging. It meant the river was safe once more.

In two bounds, they were over the ridge and the cold snow met her paws. There had been a fresh snowfall overnight, but the ground was trodden down as though Pokemon had been moving back and forth from the village.

"They've been active recently," she said. "They told me they use the mountain springs, so why would they keep going to the river?"

"Maybe they've frozen?" Flutterwick suggested.

Harlequin nodded. "Maybe."

She looked up in the direction of the village and broke into a trot. The sooner she could drop Flutterwick off, the sooner she could return to her mission. However... something wasn't settling well with her.

All these paw prints. All this activity.

As she followed the bend in the river, the village came into view. Her heart began to race frantically, and her mouth hung open. The little wooden buildings lay in tatters, glistening with ice and dotted with sharp icicles. Bodies lay strewn across the ground, lying in pools of blood mingled with black feathers.

"No..."  
"What happened here?" Mischief stood beside her, staring aghast at the gruesome scene.

"No!"

Harlequin raced into the town and stopped beside the body of the fallen Machoke. She nudged him and his head lolled uncomfortably to the side. Nothing. She shook her head violently and ran to Elsa's house, but her heart sank as she took in the state of the door, sliced to bits by sharp, frozen claws. She backed away, her blue eyes wide and stinging with tears. She didn't want to go inside... didn't want to confirm her fears.

"No... I can't believe this..."

"It wasn't just Murkrow was it?" asked Mischief. "It wasn't Enigma though... he didn't do this, did he?"

"No. It wasn't Enigma." She swatted a frozen shard of ice across the ground and it shattered against the wooden wall of a little house. "It was Weavile."

Flutterwick blinked back tears from his large eyes. "This... this is wrong. They didn't do anything..."

Harlequin grit her teeth. "Of course it's wrong. Everything about this war is wrong! They were good Pokemon!" She tore her eyes away from the scene and bolted for the gate. "This has to _end!_"

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	55. Blazing Battle

**A/N - Here's chapter 55! It's taken me a little while to proof read it. It's long-ish. I hope you enjoy =D**

**Edit: This chapter has been edited to extend the battle between Tyrix and the Wildfires. Hopefully it has a little more oomph now!**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

55 – Blazing Battle

Cleo climbed out of the hole, stepping onto the flat ground. Reshiram loomed over her, a huge smile adorning his face, as he watched the other Pokemon scramble out after her. Faith turned to offer a paw to Tyrix, but he ignored it, wriggling through the narrow gap, the rough rock scraping his fur. He stood up on his hind legs and looked up at the dragon Pokemon. His eyes widened briefly, but he stifled a gasp and dusted down his fur.

"Well!" Reshiram boomed. "Cleo tells me you're ready to leave this island now?"  
Tyrix grunted. "I certainly am! I think I've recovered enough."

"Are you sure?" Cleo asked. "It's only been two whole days."

The Typhlosion shot her a sideways glare. "That's enough, believe me. Especially since you've been throwing sitrus berries at me throughout all my waking hours."

"If that's the case, you've picked a good time," said Reshiram. "News has been travelling that the Wildfires are active."

"News?" Tyrix raised an eyebrow.

"The nice Munchlax I've been buying provisions off was quite talkative," Reshiram explained. "Once he understood I meant him no harm, he was relaying information left and right. News certainly travels quickly through the Guild."

"It needs to," said Cleo. "We have to be ready to act." She turned to the others. "Let's get a move on, before they destroy anything else."

Reshiram lowered himself to the ground and Cleo followed Faith onto his back, keeping Spark between them.

"Did the Munchlax say which areas have been struck down?" Cleo asked.

"Hmm... he didn't say exactly. But going off their pattern, he believes it won't be long until they reach where I found you."

Cleo's heart sank as she thought of Meredith and Mulch. "That means they might target the village by the lake."

Faith stared down at her paws buried inside Reshiram's thick feathers. War bothered the Mawile full stop, but the thought of Pokemon she'd met personally being ruthlessly attacked by a murderous pack of Houndour had clearly distressed her.

Cleo lightened the tone in her voice. "Hopefully we can head them off before they reach it."

"Of course!" said Reshiram. "We'll go at top speed! And we won't stop until we find them!"

A broad smile spread across Faith's face at Reshiram's encouraging words.

Cleo looked back at Tyrix, and he stood staring wordlessly at the dragon. "Are you climbing on?"

"I've never been in the air," he explained. "Are you sure it's safe?"

"Oh absolutely!" Reshiram grinned.

"It's how we got here," said Faith with a smile. "Besides... you get to see the world from the air! It's fantastic!"

Tyrix gave them a small smile and took hold of the dragon's feathers, dragging himself up behind Cleo.

"Hang on!" Reshiram told them. "The wind might not be in our favour this time around!"

"Wait!" Tyrix gasped. "What does he mean by that?"

Reshiram struck the air with his wings, shooting into the sky. The dragon's tail erupted and launched him forwards, and the Typhlosion screamed as the wind rushed past their ears.

"I'm going to get as high as I can," Reshiram explained. "A good surveillance of the land will hopefully help us track down the Wildfires."

"So we're looking for burning buildings?" Spark asked.

"Sadly, yes."

Burning buildings... Cleo watched the world go past below. Everything seemed normal... from this high up, it wasn't even evident that Pokemon outside the villages and towns were scarce. Yet the image of a burning forest filled her mind... observed by a pair of eyes standing amongst lumpy rocks and long grass. Screams filled the air as Meowstic and Dedenne scattered through the smoke, but none of them made it out as yet more flames erupted around them and dark shapes ran from the trees, snapping at the fleeing Pokemon with sharp fangs and throwing them back into the chaos. Branches snapped and fell as fire consumed the forest, and as she drew closer, one small, feeble cry reached her ears...

_'Mum... dad...'_

It had been her own voice... echoed in the grass by a tiny Dedenne.

Two small, frightened Pokemon brought together by a terrifying disaster.

Families ripped apart. Two species almost entirely wiped out.

And yet the world below looked so normal.

...

Angry screeching caws filled the canopy of the Border Woods as the Murkrow swooped at the Banette, raking their claws through his fur and beating him with their wings. Three shadow balls fired in quick succession struck home and brought down three of Yurlik's soldiers.

The Honchkrow watched the spectacle unfold from his perch in a large tree, ignoring the groan of the wood as it held his weight. He wouldn't be sat here for much longer anyway. Enigma was vastly outnumbered. There was no way he could win. With these numbers and their constant movements and aerial attacks he couldn't even use his trademark shadow sneak accurately.

"Don't go for the eyes!" he bellowed as one of the soldiers pecked at the ghost's face. "I want that pleasure myself."

Enigma's glare shot to the canopy, noticing Yurlik for the first time, and he pulled back his lips into a sneer. The distraction was enough to allow the Murkrow to swoop in from the back, taking Enigma by surprise and colliding with his head. He keeled forwards, the jingle from his bell ringing over the frantic, bloodthirsty cawing from the angry flock.

Enigma sneered and turned his eyes back onto Yurlik. "How about fighting your own battles, fatso?!"

He let out a blood curdling scream and fired another of his shadow balls through the crowd of Murkrow to Yurlik. The Honchcrow leapt from the tree as the attack struck where he'd been sitting, shattering the wood into splinters. The heavy branch struck the ground, scattering some of the straggling Murkrow.

The look in the Banette's eyes changed and Yurlik frowned as he took this in. He seemed more... maniacal. His attacks became physical and he lashed at the flapping birds with his claws, scattering feathers and blood into the air as they flew backwards from him, their bodies raining down onto the ground.

And wait... was that a laugh? Was he... laughing now?

Yurlik clicked his beak in frustration as he watched his flock decrease rapidly in numbers. No... this wasn't right. The tables shouldn't be turning! The battle was going in his favour!

"Fall back! Fall back, now!"

He flapped his large wings and rose higher into the canopy, the Murkrow retreating after him. Yet more fell to the Banette's claws and he gave a squeal of glee as he chased after them, throwing a shower of shadow balls.

Yurlik was ready to give up and fly back to the Shadow Lands. Gather more soldiers and hunt the Banette down once more. But, as he cast one more glance at Enigma, he faltered, letting himself hover in the air. Enigma was staggering, holding himself up against a tree. And then... he dropped. Dropped like a bag of bones onto the undergrowth.

Yurlik let out a small caw of surprise. He turned and swooped to the ground, stopping a few feet away from the ghost Pokemon. If this was a trap, he was putting himself in dangerous range of a shadow sneak. But the Banette didn't even seem to acknowledge him. He just lay there, out cold. The Honchcrow nodded to one of his Murkrow.

"Go on. Check to see if he's still alive."

"But... but boss..." The Murkrow looked from Enigma to Yurlik with sharp movements, trying to keep one eye focused on each of them. "What if it's a trap?"

"Since Lord Hydreigon wants him alive, it's a risk I'm willing to make. Now go over there and check!"

The Murkrow skittered across the ground and stopped at Enigma's side. He cautiously cast his eyes up and down his body then lurched forwards and struck him in the ribs with his beak. Enigma didn't so much as twitch.

The Murkrow looked back at Yurlik. "He's breathin'."

"Huh."

Yurlik inclined his head on one side, keeping his red eyes on the Banette. Well, this had worked out in his favour. What had caused him to collapse like that? Had he received too many wounds? He shrugged and marched over to him, grabbing the ghost Pokemon in the claws of his right foot.

"We're heading back," he told the Murkrow. "Keep an eye open for rebels."

He struck the air with his large wings and rose up into the canopy, doubling back to the Shadow Lands. Hopefully he'd get to play with Enigma for a bit once Hydreigon was finished with him.

...

Reshiram hadn't needed to sleep. He kept on flying despite how dark it became.

The sun reached Cleo's eyes and she ran a paw across them, rubbing the grogginess of sleep away while clutching the dragon's feathers with her free paw. She became aware of the warmth behind her contrasting drastically with the cold chill of the wind and she looked back to find Tyrix still sleeping, his body pressed up against hers. She gave the Typhlosion a gentle nudge and he snorted, blinking his eyes open. He jumped slightly, steadying himself as he gripped tightly to Reshiram's white feathers.

"Wait? We're still flying?"

Reshiram laughed. "Yes, we're still flying!"

"Anything new?" Faith asked.

"Yes. I have spotted a trail of smoke a little away from here. I'm lowering us to the ground now for a clearer view of the Pokemon below."

Smoke... Cleo squinted into the horizon. Sure enough, a thin trail of smoke rose into the air from beyond a forest's canopy. Which forest, she had no idea. From this distance, it didn't look familiar. But those rolling hills were long behind them now. They could be anywhere.

"Oh!"

Reshiram's wings jerked and they had to clutch on to save themselves from falling off.

"I _am_ sorry!" the dragon gasped. "Just... _look at that_!"

Cleo followed the dragon's gaze. Not far below them, a fire had flared up, tongues of orange and red ripping through the green and spewing up a thick cloud of black smoke.

"That's them!" Spark squeaked. "It has to be!"

"Part of me hopes you're right," said Reshiram. "And part of me hopes you're wrong." He dipped his wings and streaked down towards the fire. "Because if you're wrong, that means this is nothing more than a slightly out of control camp fire, and the Pokemon beside it are likely safe."

The green came closer and closer to them, the fire consuming it like a hungry beast. Any trace of snow melted away, and the chaos beyond the flames was hidden by the smoke. The source of the fire was confirmed by the angry war cries of the Wildfires. A chilling, terrifying howl that cut through the air like a siren.

"It's them..." Cleo's voice cracked and she gulped. "It's really them..."

A heavy paw pressed down on her shoulder. "You don't have to do _anything_. This is my problem, not yours."

Cleo looked back at Tyrix. "But they destroyed my home. And Spark's."

He gave her a half smile. "But what are you gonna do? You're a psychic Pokemon. Two bites and you'll be done for. Let me handle it." He grinned. "At least I'm immune to their flames. All you have to do is sit back and wait for it all to be over."

Cleo stared at him, her eyes narrowing. Sit back? Take it all in? Hadn't she been trained to fight dark Pokemon?

"We were told to find a fire Pokemon to deal with them," said Faith. "The Wildfires can exploit our weaknesses. I can't handle a flamethrower, Cleo. And you can't stand up to their dark attacks."

"But I can zap them!" said Spark.

Faith smiled down at the Dedenne. "We'll let Tyrix deal with it. If we are needed, we can jump in."

"Sounds fantastic!" said Tyrix. "Now let me deal with those dogs."

Reshiram's claws struck the cold ground. As he came to a stop, Cleo took in their surroundings. She didn't recognise it. They were surrounded on either side by a flat plane, the surface obscured beneath a thick layer of snow. She could hear water flowing nearby, but all she could see of it was a tiny, frozen waterfall poking up behind a snowdrift. Howls erupted into the air and her eyes snapped to the cloud of black smoke rising up from the trees a good run away.

"I'll wait here," said Reshiram. "You run on ahead."

"But we're not fighting." Cleo looked over at the Typhlosion.

"No, they're not." Tyrix crossed his arms. "They'll just hold me back. You wait here with Reshiram."

Reshiram locked his eyes on Tyrix. "If they go with you, they'll know if you need help. I can't accompany them. I'll draw attention. They're small enough to hide. Go."

He nudged Cleo with his large nose and she leapt forwards.

Tyrix gave a flustered sigh and turned away, marching towards the trees. He paused and looked back at the dragon.

"Thanks... for helping me." He flashed a grin. "Maybe I'll see you again in the Fairy Garden."

Reshiram returned his smile. "Go on. Win this battle."

Tyrix vanished into the trees.

Cleo trotted after him, Spark nestling on her shoulder. Faith's heavy footsteps crunched over the snow behind her.

The forest was darker than they expected it to be, the light obscured by the thick cloud of smoke. Cleo clasped a paw over her nose as she ran through it, her eyes stinging as she squinted ahead. The trees parted, revealing a clearing and amongst it... the burnt remains of a wooden village. Treehouses crumbled to the ground and screams filled the air as the Pokemon fled for their lives.

She ducked behind a large tree and sought out Tyrix. She found him standing a few feet away, his back to them. And beyond him... was Howlinger.

...

Tyrix frowned as he surveyed the destroyed village. The Houndour chased down the fleeing Pokemon, snapping at their legs and tails and grabbing whatever they could to throw them back into the burning rubble. Small families were cornered by snarling, vicious fangs.

And there... standing in the middle of it all and barking commands... was a large, lean Houndoom.

Tyrix took a step forward, placing his large paw on a thin, brittle slab of wood. It cracked under his weight, drawing the eyes of the Houndoom to him.

Howlinger's lips pulled back from his canines and he let out a fierce snarl.

"You!"

Tyrix snickered. "Well... aren't you proud of yourself?" He waved a paw at the burning wreckage. "Does this make you feel big?"

"What? Purging the world of the weak?" Howlinger threw his head back and laughed, and his pack copied him, their voices giving the whole place a sinister air. "I _know_ I'm stronger than this rabble! Burning it down proves it to them, not me!"  
Tyrix flashed his canines. This Pokemon was repulsive. Not a single good bone in his body. He took a step forwards and the Houndoom's eyes snapped onto his.

"What are you planning to do about it?" Howlinger asked. "Or are you just here to give yourself up? Because if it's a fight you're after..." He looked Tyrix up and down and laughed. "Let's face it, you've seen better days."

Tyrix grinned. "Oh... I _am _here to fight you."

Howlinger snarled, and the pack of Houndour gathered around him, abandoning the trapped Pokemon. Seeing their chance, many of them fled as the pack of dogs' attention was drawn to the Typhlosion.

"You?" Howlinger spat. "In your condition? Don't make me laugh!"

The fire spread over the burning building beside the Houndoom, its roof falling to the floor in a blazing pile of rubble. The Houndoom leapt back from it, landing amongst his pack.

"Laugh all you want. You're forgetting one thing, Howlinger." Tyrix marched forwards, walking straight through the burning building. The flames on his shoulders flared to life, blazing with an intense heat that drew in the flames from the building like a magnet. "Fire gives me strength."

Howlinger bared his canines and snarled, lowering his head to the ground. The Houndour copied him, their paws clawing with uncertainty at the snow, but their eyes remained locked on the Typhlosion.

Tyrix gave a small chuckle. The fire on his back erupted and he roared, heat blazing out from his body and consuming the Wildfires. The Houndour yelped, leaping back from him as their fur simmered in the heat. Many dropped to the ground, their tongues lolling out from their jaws. What was left stood gasping several feet away.

Howlinger stood with them, his eyes locked on the Typhlosion. The intense attack had hit him, but he was in better shape than the rest of his pack. He barked at the remaining Houndour.

"Don't just stand there! Attack him!"  
The Houndour howled and lurched towards the Typhlosion, their jaws snapping and saliva flying from their mouths. One of them launched a flamethrower and Tyrix laughed as it struck him, feeding the flames on his back.

"What are you doing?" Howlinger wailed. "Don't use fire!"

Before the Houndour could strike their target, another wave of heat consumed them. They fell to the ground like flies, yelping feebly as the life left their bodies.

A pawful of them scattered away from him, moving into the shadows cast by the blazing trees. Tyrix stood amongst the flames, watching their shadowy forms as they changed their tactics, racing around him and looking for a way in. Their red eyes reflected the fire, not leaving the Typhlosion.

Howlinger joined them, keeping his head low. His movements were slow at first, pacing back and forth as the Houndour circled him.

Brittle wood snapped behind him, and Tyrix span to meet two Houndour as they aimed for his back.

A stream of flames flew from his mouth, knocking back the two small dogs. His yelp joined theirs as pain seared through his shoulder. He twisted and shook his body, sending the offensive Houndour soaring through the air and crashing through the roof of one of the burning buildings.

Paws struck the floor as the rest of the pack flew at him, smouldering ash rising from the ground and fizzling away in the heat.

Tyrix roared, letting another heatwave expand from his body. The small number of Houndour fell to the ground before they hit him, gasping in the intense heat.

The only one left now was Howlinger, pawing at the ground as he surveyed his fallen pack.

All of them, dealt with by turning their own power against them.

As the heat haze faded, Tyrix stood staring at the remaining Houndoom. Howlinger leered at him, his eyes going from the fallen Houndour to Tyrix and back as he tried to fathom his situation.

Trapped.

The clearing was now surrounded by burning trees.

If Howlinger wanted to flee, he had to race through them, and he hadn't the defences to survive it.

"What are you going to do now, Howlinger?" Tyrix asked him.

The Houndoom tried to hide an anxious whine behind a snarl as he took a step back.

Nothing to throw at him. Fire would only strengthen Tyrix's heatwave, and trying to reach him with one of the close-range dark attacks would only be met with an assault of flames from the Typhlosion.

As he watched the Houndoom retreat, it became very clear what this dog really was.

A coward.

He knew he couldn't survive fire, yet he'd shocked fear into the hearts of innocent Pokemon everywhere. He led his pack, leaving behind a trail of flames. Those that ran in fear were snatched up and thrown back into the terrifying blaze.

A blaze the dogs were too scared to run back into themselves.

Using the fear of others to make them feel strong.

Bullies. Cowards.

A sneer spread across Tyrix's face. He didn't wait for Howlinger to make a move. He was pretty sure one wouldn't come. There was nothing the dog could do. He marched forwards through the burning debris, stepping over the Houndour as if they were nothing more than mere pebbles. Howlinger took several steps back until his tail met the wall of a burning house. His eyes went up to it and he yelped as a flaming beam crumbled free and struck him square across his back. He crumpled to the ground beneath its weight, an ear-splitting wail screaming from his mouth as he tried to drag himself free.

Tyrix stared down at him, his paw clenched into a fist.

"You've been fighting on the wrong side, Howlinger."

The Houndoom stared up at him, his red eyes wide as he watched the Typhlosion's blazing fist.

Tyrix brought his paw down onto the Houndoom's head. A crack split the air and the Pokemon fell limp, his struggles brought to a halt.

Tyrix stood back from him, looking over the burning remains of the village. It was now scattered with Houndour, joining the pawful of bodies of other Pokemon, but vastly outnumbering them. Hopefully the remaining Pokemon had made it out of the village to safety.

He'd done it. The Wildfires were gone. They were no longer a threat to innocent Pokemon. He laughed and a violent fit of coughs exploded from his chest in a thick cloud of black smoke.

He'd done it. Despite the odds, he'd done it.

He keeled forwards, all energy leaving his body. A large smile broke across his face and the world went black.

...

Enigma was thrown roughly through the double-doors, his body sliding across the tiled floor. He gave a grunt as he pushed himself up, looking into the red eyes of Hydreigon.

"Here he is, my lord," Yurlik half-growled. "He put up quite a fight the final stretch of the journey."

Enigma flashed the Honchkrow a glare. If it weren't for the foul Pokemon's type advantage, he could have slipped effortlessly through his claws, but the wretched Honchkrow had prepared a night slash, making it impossible for him to pass through.

"It took you long enough to bring him here!" Hydreigon roared. "Now... get out of here while I deal with him!"  
"Yes, my lord." Yurlik backed quickly from the room, letting the doors close behind him.

Enigma turned his eyes back on the dragon Pokemon. All he needed to do now was vanish into the ground and slip away to safety.

"Explain this!"

Hydreigon dropped a book in front of him. The pages fluttered open as it struck the tile, landing at an image of a stag Pokemon addressing an army, each one of them submerged in a colouful light.

"This was found hidden in your room," Hydreigon told him. "A book about Xerneas overthrowing Yveltal. Why do you have such a book?"

Enigma chuckled and pushed himself to his feet. "I found it in _your_ library."

"I burnt that library!"

"After I found it."  
"You work for me!" Hydreigon bellowed. "Now explain why you hid this book!"  
"Because it gave me hope!" Enigma growled.

"Hope?" Hydreigon spat. "You don't need hope!"  
"Oh I do... we all do." Enigma glanced down at the book then locked his eyes on Hydreigon's. "Hope that one day you'll be destroyed."  
Hydreigon hissed and lowered his head so he was almost nose to nose with Enigma. His red eyes were narrowed into slits and Enigma could feel his breath on his face.

"I'll give you one moment to remember who you work for, ghost."

"I don't need reminding." Enigma grinned. "I work for Xerneas."

A loud scream blared from Hydreigon's mouth and he brought his right head arcing down through the air, striking Enigma hard in the chest. Pain exploded through the right side of his ribs and he skidded across the floor, coughing violently. Every breath he took was met with a sharp stab, and he just knew the impact had splintered the newly healed bones. He removed his paw from his mouth, now coated with blood.

"Get him out of here!" Hydreigon roarded.

The doors flew open and Yurlik's wicked eyes locked onto Enigma.

"Get rid of him. I want this mess out of my sight."

Yurlik grinned. "Gladly."

He grabbed Enigma in his talons and threw him through the door, sending him flying down the hallway. Before Enigma could vanish through the ground, Yurlik was on him, raking his flesh with his claws as he opened the castle doors. In a flurry of feathers, he was dragged through the air, hanging awkwardly in the Honchkrow's grip. There was nothing he could do. He was exhausted, and blood flowed freely from a jagged wound in his chest. He closed his eyes. He couldn't look at it. Even breathing hurt.

His body struck the ground, and he had one small chance to glimpse a river beside him before Yurlik's grinning beak filled his vision.

"I've waited too long for this," the Honchkrow purred. "First, I want to find where you hide that annoying bell. I think I'll start with your eyes."  
Enigma's heart was racing. He wasn't going to die like this. He wasn't going to give this foul bird the pleasure of finishing him off.

He'd rather let the river do that.

Besides... this idiot couldn't use two attacks at once. No Pokemon could. With what failing strength he had, he grinned as he let his body become translucent. Yurlik's beak struck nothing but earth as Enigma slipped away from his grip.

Cold water washed over him, clouding with blood as he sank beneath the current. Yurlik's screech of anger reached his ears, muffled by the gushing river.

Every river flowed away from the Shadow Lands.

It was like even the water itself didn't want to be there.

Enigma chuckled, bubbles rising from his mouth as his vision dulled. At least he'd die outside that awful place.

...

When Tyrix opened his eyes, the burning had stopped, and the ground was singed, but he didn't see the fallen Pokemon. Instead what surrounded him was a spray of colourful flowers.

He looked up, and standing over him was a vibrant stag-like Pokemon.

"Xerneas?"

Xerneas smiled. "You did well."

Tyrix laughed, and for the first time in years his chest felt clear. But he still had no energy. He was tired... exhausted.

"I only did... what needed to be done..."

He stared up at Xerneas, the smile not leaving the stag Pokemon's face.

Xerneas lowered his head and lifted Tyrix into the air, letting him fall across his back.

"Come on," he said softly. "Let's go home."

...

The howls had stopped.

Was it over?

Cleo took a small step away from the tree, looking out through the smoke. The fires were still burning, and spreading rapidly towards the forest. After the fight started, she'd ran back, wanting to get away from it all, not wanting to be seen. The sheer sight of Howlinger had chilled her to the bone, and she couldn't bare it. If he'd seen her... if he'd seen Spark... or Faith...

She moved back through the forest, heading towards the clearing. Faith and Spark had been silent the whole time. Faith hadn't even tried to talk her around.

Cleo even strongly doubted whether or not she'd have been able to help Tyrix if he needed it. She was kicking herself. She'd left him... just left him.

"Why did I do that?" she asked herself.

"You were scared," said Faith. "It's understandable."

"I'm a coward."

"You're not a coward!" Faith gasped. "Don't say such things!"  
"I left him! And I let you follow me!" Cleo stopped turning to face Faith. "I _am_ a coward."

Faith shook her head. "When I look at you, I don't see a coward."

Cleo clenched her paws and looked over her shoulder. "It's stopped. It must have. They've either moved on, or he did it."

The wood blazed ahead of them, the fire quickly consuming its branches.

"We need to put out the fire."

"But how do we do it?" Spark asked. "None of us are water types."  
Cleo searched her brain for a solution, but she was coming up dry. All she knew that could put out fire was water, or dirt... or air...

"Reshiram!" She pulled the feather from her bag. "He can put it out by flapping his wings!"  
Faith looked up at the fire. "It's certainly worth a shot!"

Cleo blew on the feather, and in no time, Reshiram's wings could be heard above them. He hovered above the canopy, peering down at them.

"If you want to climb on, you'll need to get into the trees!"  
"We actually want to know if you can put out the fire!" Cleo called up to him.

"Put out the fire?" Reshiram looked out at the flames then back down at Cleo. "I can give it a try! If I blow it back into itself, it's got nothing left to burn!"

He flapped his wings, sending a strong air current at the blazing trees.

Cleo gave a sigh of relief as she watched the flames go out and retreat across the branches, now blackened from the heat.

"Come on. Let's find Tyrix."

She led the other two Pokemon through the woods, following the retreating fire. It wouldn't be long now... soon they would be back at the clearing. She'd be able to help Tyrix, to apologise for leaving him.

_Snap!_  
"Cleo!"

Cleo screamed as her body was crushed into the ground, Faith's yell barely registering in her mind. Pain radiated through her leg and she forced her eyes open. There, lying across her left leg, was a heavy tree branch. She clenched her jaw and closed her eyes again, letting a long, pained groan slip out between her teeth.

"Oh, Cleo! Bare with me!" A flash came from Faith as she took on her mega form. "This is going to hurt. I need to lift it off you."

"No!" Cleo fell back onto the ground, her arm flopping over her eyes.

"Yes!"

Cleo howled as the heavy branch was lifted from her leg. A loud crunch met her ears and when she opened them, she saw the branch had been hefted into the clearing. The smoke was now subsiding. Reshiram's shadow appeared amongst it and he looked down at her.

"What ever happened?"  
"A branch fell off and crushed Cleo's leg!" Spark screeched. "I think she's broken it!"  
"Oh!" Reshiram looked over his shoulder at the village. "The fire is pretty much out. I'll beat out the rest of it as we fly though. Get her on my back, and we'll take her to the Guild."

Cleo moaned as Faith lifted her into her arms and carried her across the clearing. It hurt. Everything else was shut out. She didn't even know how Faith managed to get her onto the dragon's back.

The air rushed past them as Reshiram lifted them into the sky. Cleo opened her eyes long enough to take in the clearing below them. Where Reshiram had flown through it, the smoke had parted, giving her a clear view of the ruined village. Bodies lay scattered, but there was no sign of Tyrix. In one spot beside a wrecked house lay a spray of colourful flowers.

"He's gone..."

...

Harlequin stepped out from the bush, Flutterwick's soft snores muffled by the green leaves. Mischief sat in the snow a little away from her.

She cleared her throat and he looked back at her, his face sullen.

"It's my shift now."

He nodded and stood up slowly, moving past her to the bush. She took his spot, still warm from his body heat.

"Harlequin?"  
She glanced back at him. He was stood with his back to her, one paw resting on the leaves.

"Have you ever been in love?"

Harlequin's eyes widened and she stared at him, before looking sharply away.

"Why are you asking me that?" she asked.

"I don't know." He paused. "I guess I was hoping for advice."

Harlequin stared at the ground, a lone blade of grass poking up from the surface of the white snow.

"This is about Cleo, isn't it?" she asked.

Mischief didn't answer. She glanced back to make sure he was still there, and he was. Still in that same position, but now he was running a paw over one of the broad leaves.

"Just tell her," she said. " Because the longer you leave it, the harder it will get." She paused and looked up at the stars poking through the clouds. "You'll just regret it if you don't."

There was a long pause, and Harlequin glanced back to check if Mischief was still stood there. He'd abandoned the leaf now but still had his back to her.  
"But I left her," he said quietly.

Harlequin shrugged. "Then find her."  
Mischief nodded and parted the leaves, climbing into the bush. When they fell back into place, she looked away, staring out at the mountains.

Since they'd left the little village, Harlequin had returned to her primary task of finding Harbinger. Flutterwick had stuck with them, since he had no where else to go, and his former home was too dangerous for him to stay in. As for Mischief... he was still looking for his cure.

Barely any time had passed when soft paw steps crunched over the snow. Harlequin looked round at the trees beside them. Three Pokemon moved through them – two Pawniard and an Absol.

A gasp escaped her lips and she stood up. She still wasn't sure how to deal with this. How long had he been lurking there? Had he been waiting for Mischief to leave so he could catch her alone? She was looking for him, but he'd tried to kill her. There was no saying he wouldn't try it again.

"Harbie?"

The Absol snorted and looked away from her. "So you still call me that?"

"If you remember, I was the one who gave you that name in the first place." She sat back down, keeping her blue eyes on the Absol. "I don't know if you're looking for a fight right now... but I'm not going to give you one."  
Harbinger moved closer to her and her body tensed, but she refused to stand up or back away.

"I'm not going to fight you," he said.

She felt her eyes widen. "You're not?"

"No. I'm here to talk to you." He paused and glanced over at the bush before turning back to her. "I happened to run into a friend of yours."

He seemed to spit the last words.

"Who?" It was a silly question. She knew the answer.

"Enigma."

She nodded and glanced down at her paws. "Did he...?"

"What? Spare my life?" Harbinger snorted. "I'm stood here, aren't I? Anyway... he explained something to me."

"Oh?"

"Yes." He licked his lips and diverted his gaze. "He said you thought I was dead."

Harlequin's heart lurched in her chest and she took a step towards him. "I did! I went back to get you and you weren't there! Yurlik – a Honchkrow – told me you were dead. You'd been chased through the Border Woods and killed!"

"Funny." Harbinger looked up at the sky. "The same Pokemon told me you abandoned me to join Hydreigon's ranks."

Harlequin looked away. "I never joined them willingly."

"Well... unfortunately... I thought you had. And anyone who works for that monster is my enemy." He paused and they sat in silence for a while, staring out at the mountains. Soft snow had begun to fall again, and it clung to the dark fur on his horn and face. "I tried to kill you."

Harlequin stared down at her paw as she trailed it through the snow. "I know."

He looked at her. "You know?"

"I didn't know it was you at the time, but it was pretty clear the target was me. You used a Nidoking."

He nodded and looked away again. "And you're not angry with me?"

"Angry with you?" Her eyes widened and she turned her head to look at him. "I'm just relieved you're alive! You thought I'd betrayed you... and I'm upset you thought that, but... we're both here."

Harbinger let out a small laugh. "You're a fool."

"Maybe I am." She looked away again. "But like I said... I'm just glad you're alive."

She felt his eyes on her and her mind went to the orb around her neck. She opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off.

"I'm sorry."

She snapped her head round to look at him, trying to search for the words to respond, but none came out.

"I know it's not enough to apologise," he said. "I did try to take your life."

"It's okay." Tears stung her eyes. She looked back down at her paws. "I forgive you."

Whether or not he accepted her acceptance of his apology, she didn't find out. He was silent once more. She couldn't feel him watching her anymore, and for a small while she thought he'd got up and left, but his voice cleared any suspicion of that away.

"It wasn't just you."

She looked up at him again, but he wasn't looking at her any more.

"I've been living up to my name," he went on. "Pokemon believe Absol bring disasters and are quick to drive them away, so that's what I've been doing. I've caused landslides, fires, poisoned rivers."

She looked away sharply. So her guess had been right. It was him who poisoned the river in the Silent Mountains.

"I..." She stopped and cleared her throat. "I didn't want to believe it but... Cleo had told me about the Seviper remains."

He gave a bitter laugh and shook his head. "I don't think all those Pokemon affected would be so quick to forgive me."

"Then stop." She met his red eyes, but the look behind them was unreadable.

He looked away from her and a silence washed over them once more.

Disasters... he didn't need to bring them. She'd told him that before. Maybe a small, gentle reminder might spark that in him?

"You don't need to do this, Harbie." She stared down at her paws, her voice meek and small. "When we first met, I'd told you to become a harbinger of _good_ things. Can't you live up to that?"

Again, he didn't say anything. Silence, broken by the occasional grating of metal as one of the Pawniard rubbed his claws together.

The image of a frightened Absol hatchling entered her mind, racing through the Border Woods as he desperately tried to get himself to safety. Curiosity had overtaken her, so she'd stopped him. Happy that she'd found a new friend, one who wanted to get away like she did, she'd hidden him away in her den with the promise they would escape together.

She'd just needed more time...

"So you've finally left the Shadow Lands?"

Harbinger's voice made her jump.

She looked up at him and nodded. "Yes. I'm never going back. This world is a mess, and it's all because of _him_."

He fixed his red eyes on her, but the look in his eyes wasn't one of surprise. He agreed with her.

"As soon as I heard you were alive," she said, "I wanted to look for you and return this."

She removed the mega stone and tossed it to him. It landed in the snow by his paw and his eyes widened slowly as he stared at it.

"You had this? I thought I'd lost it!"

"I found it in the den where I hid you. I couldn't just leave it there." He didn't look at her, his eyes fixed on the stone. "I know it meant a lot to you. Please take it back."

He looked up at her and placed a paw over the stone. "Thank you..."

"I found out what it is. It's a mega stone." His head jerked up at those words. "It allows a Pokemon to take a stronger form," she went on. "That one is for an Absol."

"Where did you find that out?"

"A place called the Fairy Garden."

He looked away from her and frowned. "I've never heard of it."

"Neither had I before I came across it. It's ruled by a Pokemon called Xerneas. A place of peace."

Harbinger grunted. "That sounds like something from a tale told to hatchlings."

"Believe me, it's not. He's the one who told me you were alive, and to return that stone. He asked me to send you to him so he can show you how to use it."

Harbinger picked up the mega stone and looped it back over his neck. "Fairy Garden eh? If it does exist then how do I get there?"

"It's in the Endless Woods."

Harbinger's body stiffened at her words.

"That's where we found it anyway," she went on. "You can only find it if you're seeking solitude. Any Pokemon that aren't will just find themselves in an empty clearing."

Harbinger's red eyes were as wide as saucers. He looked over at the two Pawniard who reflected his expression.

"I was tracking you back there... and I lost you." He looked back at her. "That's where you went?"

"You were tracking me? Back then?!"

He nodded and rose to his feet. "Yes."

Harlequin was aghast. She watched as he rejoined the two Pawniard.

"Harlequin... thank you for returning this stone to me."

"You're leaving?"

"You said you'd send me to the Fairy Garden to learn how to use it. So that's where I'm going. If it can make me stronger... strong enough to fight against the Darkness... then I want to learn how it works." He paused. "It'll be strange suddenly fighting alongside each other." He smiled and shook his head. "No longer causing disasters."

Harlequin grinned, blinking back the tears that were filling her eyes.

He smiled. "I'll see you when I get back." He turned and vanished through the trees, the two Pawniard running after him and leaving sharp prints in the snow.

Harlequin felt a weight lift from her and she looked back out at the mountains. What would be her next plan of action? To help Mischief find a cure to Pokerus? If she found that, she'd be able to save Enigma too, and many other Pokemon from that awful parasite.

A small caw cut through the air and her body froze. It became louder, until it was almost above her. She looked round to find two Murkrow perched in a tree, and beneath them were two Weavile and a Sneasel.

"Have you heard?" one of the Murkrow said. "Big news, I tell you!"  
"Big news?" The larger Weavile crinkled his nose. "Spit it out, bird brain, and be off with you!"  
The two Murkrow laughed.

"You'll be happy when we tell ya he's dead!"

"Who's dead?"  
"Enigma!"

Harlequin felt her blood turn cold. She stared, transfixed, at the group of dark Pokemon.

"You can't be serious!" the Weavile gasped. "Dead?!"

"Yup! Rebelled against Hydreigon." The Murkrow ruffled his feathers. "Yurlik finished him off, watched him drown."

"He's gone," the other Murkrow said flatly.

"Great, so how many aces is that now?" the Weavile asked.

Harlequin didn't hear the rest of the conversation. She limped away from the bush, walking blindly towards the mountains.

Dead... he was dead...

It felt like someone had reached into her chest and yanked out her heart. Tears stung her eyes and she threw her head back, letting out a mournful, agonized scream.

The sound of wings beat against her eardrums and she looked round at the small group of dark Pokemon rushing at her.

"Leave me alone!"

As she screamed it, a flash of pink and purple light flew from her mouth, knocking the Murkrow from the air and sending the Weavile and Sneasel rolling backwards through the snow. The Weavile duo rose to their feet and looked down at the other three before scurrying away from her, vanishing into the night.

Harlequin's legs buckled beneath her and she fell to the snow, tears streaking from her eyes, sobs shaking her body. She barely even noticed when Harbinger burst back through the woods, or when Mischief and Flutterwick joined her side, begging her to speak to them.

Gone... he was gone...

...

**D=**

**Please R&amp;R!**


	56. Reunion and Heartbreak

**A/N - Thank you so much for all reviews and faves =D it's so encouraging! All feedback is welcome! The Wildfire battle did seem a bit short, I admit. I had a think about it to see where I went wrong, but it shows that they were really no match for Tyrix since they relied on their fire to destroy things. They actually come across as cowardly, which I hadn't initially planned but I do like the idea of. I may re-work it at some point to give it a bit more oomph and amplify those facts.**

**So the last chapter ended on a bit of a heart-wrenching cliff-hanger. This chapter starts the fifth and final section of the story. Yup, I have written the final 70th chapter. It needs a bit more refining, but this fanfic will cap at 70 =D**

Part 5

56 – Reunion and Heartbreak

"Dad! Dad! Dad!"

Starshine raced out of the training room, his small claws clicking over the hard floor as he picked up enough speed to rise into the air. A Furret and Marshstomp trotted behind him, the both of them following his shouts with "Uncle Tinker!" as they followed the Swablu through the winding tunnels of New City.

Two guards were walking the opposite way, a Growlithe and Pikachu. The Pikachu raised a paw when he saw the hatchlings.

"Boys! Boys!"

Starshine landed gracefully beside them. He fixed them with his little, black eyes and smiled.

"Excuse me! Have you seen my dad?"

Scout stopped beside him and adjusted his blue scarf. "Yeh, we've got some news for him!"  
The Growlithe tutted and shook his head. "You kids know you shouldn't be running in these tunnels."

"Sorry!" The Furret clasped his paws behind his back and laughed. "It's kinda important."

"Aye!" said Tad. "We wanna give 'im th'news before anyone else does!"

"Sorry. Not seen him," said the Pikachu. "It's a while until the dinner bell goes, so he's probably still in the medical ward."

"He's been spending a lot of time there," said the Growlithe. "It's either there or his office."

The Pikachu shrugged. "And if he's not in either... no clue."  
The Marshstomp scratched his head beneath his bandanna. "Aye, he does tend t'do a disappearin' act from time't'time."

Scout folded his arms and nodded. "Right enough."

Tad nudged him with his elbow.

"Okay! We'll try there." Starshine flapped his wings and rose back into the air. "Thanks, sirs!"

The Pikachu waggled a claw at the three children as they prepared to speed off again. "And no running!"  
"Okay," the three chimed.

...

"Well, Melody seems to think you're recovering nicely." Tinker leant back in his wooden chair and eyed Cleo's bandaged leg. "Even if you're being a nuisance at not keeping it elevated."  
Cleo shrugged and swatted Tinker's paw away. "If she thinks I'm recovering then does it matter? I'm more comfortable this way."

"You don't want it to heal crooked, now, do you?" Tinker resigned to keeping his paws to himself. "Honestly, Cleo. What were you doing running into a fire in the first place?"

Cleo closed her eyes and tutted. "You've been asking me that every day since I got back here."  
Spark peered at him from the foot of the bed. "And she's not over-exaggerating."

A dull creak came from the wall as the elevator descended. Faith's slender form appeared in the hole in the wall clutching a plate of berries. Starshine and his two friends accompanied her. Tad, the Marshstomp, had hold of the rope in both paws. He released it and stood aside with a small bow.

"Milady!"  
Faith smiled at him and stepped off the elevator just before Starshine sped past her.

"Excuse me, Miss Faith!"

Cries of "Dad!" and "Uncle Tinker!" filled the medical ward as they zipped by Faith, causing her to wobble and steady the berries on the plate and look on with amusement as the Riolu was bombarded by the three children.

"What's got into you three?!" Tinker exclaimed as Starshine hopped onto his lap.

The Swablu placed his fluffy wings on Tinker's shoulders. "We have news!"

"Aye! Big news!" said Tad.

"What news, exactly?" asked Tinker.

"Has it reached you yet?" asked Scout. "Because if it has, then that would kinda suck the fun out of it."  
Tinker let out a sigh and ran a paw down his face. "Are you going to tell me?"

Starshine hopped up and down, his eyes sparkling. "Three dark Pokemon just turned themselves in at the cells!"

Tinker's red eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"See?" Tad nudged Scout. "Told ya he wouldn'ta heard that fast, aye?"

"Hah! Yes!" Scout fist-pumped the air. "Team Heroes finished another mission!"

"I'd hardly call delivering a message you overheard to me when it would have arrived at some point a mission," said Tinker. "But points for effort." He rose to his feet, letting Starshine hop back onto the floor. "By any chance did they say who these Pokemon are?"

"Aye, an important one," said Tad. "Some assassin named Harlequin."

Cleo sat bolt upright.

"Harlequin?" she gasped at the same time as Tinker.

"My!" Faith placed the plate of berries on the table next to Cleo's bed. "I wonder if she's all right?"

"My thoughts exactly!" Spark helped herself to one of the oran berries.

"Why is she with two others though?" Cleo asked. "Did they say who they are?"

Scout shrugged. "Two Pawniard, apparently."

"So he's mixing with dark Pokemon again?" Tinker grunted and crossed his arms, shooting a glare at Cleo. "I told you not to remove that collar."  
"She helped us!" Cleo told him.

"So you keep saying! And here he is, locked in the cells with two more dark Pokemon."  
"But they said she turned herself in," said Faith. "Why would she do that?"

"That's the thing!" Starshine flapped his wings and hopped onto the bed to look up at Tinker. "She wants to see Cleo."

Tinker's eyes shot to the Meowstic, and she returned his look with a firm stare. Pushing herself up, she lifted her leg gently over the edge of the bed.

Tinker folded his arms. "You're not going in your condition, seriously?"

"She wants to see me, so I'm going," said Cleo.

"But you can't walk all the way to the cells!"  
"Come on, it's been almost an entire season! As far as I know, flowers could be blooming up there!" She accepted the crutch Faith handed to her and stood up, wobbling slightly as she tried to avoid putting too much weight on her wounded leg. "Are you coming with us?"

Tinker moved over to the elevator and took hold of the pulley rope. "Of course I am. Hurry on in." He turned to the three children. "Don't follow us, okay? I don't want to risk putting you in danger."  
Scout folded his arms and huffed. "We're Team Heroes! _Heroes!_ We're supposed to be fighting evil, not watching you fight for us!"

Faith giggled and gave them a small wave. "I'm sure you'll make great heroes!"

Tad blushed and threw an arm around Scout. "Aww. Thanks, Milady!"

The elevator creaked and wobbled as Tinker pulled on the rope. It finally came to a stop in a quiet corridor.

"Like I said." He turned to Cleo. "It's quite a walk."

"I'll manage."

Cleo moved past him, leaning on the crutch as she hobbled through the corridor. She didn't feel she even needed it any more. It mainly provided balance over the cumbersome cast. Tinker was soon at her side, causing Faith to walk on ahead of them and Cleo's right shoulder to almost brush against the wall. The Mawile had fortunately been able to explore New City during her time there so she knew her way around without having to keep looking back at them.

They moved through the maze of tunnels until they arrived in a narrow corridor that ended at a stone slab in the floor. A Meinfoo and Combusken sat on either side of it and they gave the group a small smile as they drew closer.

"We're going to the cells," Tinker explained to them.

The Combusken nodded. "Questioning the new prisoners?"

Tinker said nothing. He unlocked the stone slab and led Cleo in first. He watched Faith steady the Meowstic then followed after them just before the stone slab rumbled back into place above his head.

Cleo was beginning to appreciate this system linking New City to the cells. It certainly was a safer means of travelling back and forth without having to go through the Moorland's Forest.

The musty smell of damp earth filled her nostrils and she was beginning to find the crutch was digging into the soil, making it a little harder to move along. She masked her struggles as best she could, in hopes Tinker wouldn't notice and say something.

They reached the end of the tunnel and Tinker wriggled through the group to unlock the stone slab. Cleo refrained from reminding him she had her own key, and instead just followed the Riolu through until they emerged through the iron grate leading to the cells.

"You're right!" said Spark. "It is a trek!" She hopped to the ground.

"A trek?" Cleo looked down at her. "You were riding on my shoulder the whole way."

"Yes. And you did well!"

Cleo smiled and followed the Riolu until he stopped at one of the doors. He was talking with another Combusken who nodded at their unheard conversation and stepped aside so Tinker could unlock the door. Cleo followed him inside and her eyes were instantly drawn to the cell. Looking back at them from behind it were Harlequin's familiar blue eyes, accompanied by two pairs of large red ones. The identical Pawniard duo were sitting against the cold, damp wall, one of them huddled into the corner and rubbing his blades together, creating a ear-piercing screech of metal.

Tinker frowned at him. "I suggest you stop that before you give me a headache."

The Pawniard froze, his blades clasped to his metal chest.

Harlequin looked Cleo up and down and raised an eyebrow. "What on earth happened to you?"

Tinker's attention locked onto Harlequin his eyes narrowed. "We should be asking the questions, Harlequin. Not you." He folded his arms and stared down at her. "Turning yourself in... Now why would you do that?"

Harlequin's brow furrowed and she flashed her canines. "I'm not here to talk to you. I want to talk to Cleo." Her face softened when she looked at Cleo and Faith.

Before Cleo could open her mouth to speak, Tinker cut her off. "The Combusken gave me this, which he confiscated off you." He held out a sun-shaped Guild badge, identical to the one Cleo had on her bag. "Care to tell me how you got it?"

Cleo looked from the badge to Harlequin and back. She had no recollection of giving her one, so if she'd managed to get one it would have been after they'd parted ways.

"Mischief gave it to me," Harlequin told him. "I told him I wanted to find Cleo, and he said I'd be able to get into New City with it, since you use it as a key."

Tinker's face went from shock to anger in the space of a split second. He clenched the badge in his paw so tightly Cleo feared it might puncture his pads.

"I made a devastating mistake trusting that Whimsicott with a Guild Badge." He spoke the words slowly, each one flashing more and more of his sharp canines. "He's just handing it over to dark Pokemon?!"  
"Harlequin isn't our enemy," said Faith. "Mischief knows that."

"Don't even start!" Tinker rounded on her, both fists clenched at his sides. "I still don't even know what _your_ motives really are! You act all friendly and go around spouting utter nonsense! The only reason you're here is because you can use that new fairy type!"

Faith's face fell, her violet eyes seeming much larger in her dainty face. Spark hopped up onto her shoulder and placed a paw on her horn.

"Ignore him. He's just a grumpy bottom."

Tinker snarled and turned back to Harlequin, but Cleo nudged him aside.

"Let me deal with her. _You've_ said enough." She looked down at the Zorua and gave a small smile. "So... why did you come back to the cells of all places?"

Harlequin gave her a half-smile. "It'd be the best way to get your attention without risking my life." Her smile fell and she looked away from her. "I need your help."

"Help?!" Tinker barked.

A small sizzle of electricity suggested Spark had just silenced him.

"Help with what?" Cleo asked.

Harlequin looked back up at her, her expression serious. "Assassinating Hydreigon."

Cleo felt every hair on her body stand on end, and the gasps behind her proved she'd heard her correctly.

"Assassinate Hydreigon?" Cleo rubbed a paw over her right ear. "How do you plan to do that?"

"I've been travelling back and forth since we parted ways. A lot has happened," Harlequin explained. "I've been through the Border Woods and I've tried to search the walls. But what I heard while I was there caused me to run back here with my tail between my legs!" She clenched her jaw and locked her eyes on Cleo's. "Hydreigon wants to re-awaken Yveltal!"

"What?!"

Cleo span to look at Faith. The Mawile's paws were clasped over her mouth and her breath was coming in quick bursts.

"Yes... he wants to wipe out every Pokemon that isn't a dark or dragon type."

Faith shook her head. "That will surely backfire! You know what happened the last time?"

"I don't know... I heard his plan and I recognised the name... it's a Pokemon Xerneas defeated during the last great war. And now Hydreigon wants to bring it back!"

"But... it's dead, right?" Spark asked.

"It's left in a cocoon state," said Faith. "I don't know how he's planning to awaken it, but if he does... we need to stop him."

"I know!" Harlequin whined.

"What were you even doing back in the Border Woods?" Tinker growled.

"Searching for a way in, I told you!" Harlequin shook her head sharply, blinking back tears. "I want to kill Hydreigon! He's done a lot of damage to this world. He's even killed Pokemon I care about! An entire village and even Enigma."

A loud yell split through the room and all eyes snapped onto Faith.

"Enigma's dead?!"

Faith's violet eyes filled with tears and she took a step back, both paws clasped over her mouth again.  
Harlequin's expression reflected the Mawile's. She looked away and hung her head, her canines visible as she let out a small growl.

"Yes."  
Cleo thought her heart was going to break at the pain behind the Zorua's eyes.

Tinker snorted. "Good riddance."

Harlequin rose to her feet, the fur along her back rising as a vicious snarl came out from between her teeth.

Tinker stared back at her, completely unfazed. "It's one less assassin to worry about."

"Hydreigon killed him because he rebelled!" she barked. "You already didn't need to worry about him!"

Cleo turned to the Riolu and pointed a paw at the door. "I want you out. Now."

Tinker sighed. "I have you know, Cleo, I am in charge here."

"Yes, but you're making this harder than it needs to be. Go."

He shook his head and moved towards the door.

Spark cleared her throat and he looked back at her.

"Keys?" The Dedenne held out her paws.

Tinker tossed the keys onto the desk and slipped out of the door. When it closed behind him, Cleo turned back to Harlequin.

"Did you..." She trailed off as she tried to re-word the question. "Were you there?"

Harlequin shook her head. "No. I thought it might be a lie, or a misunderstanding, so I went looking for him. Our paths normally cross quite frequently, but... not this time."

"Okay... what exactly happened?"

Harlequin screwed her eyes shut and fell back down onto her haunches. "I don't know! It's all happened so fast, I can't even think straight!"

Faith fell down at the cell gates and reached a paw inside, placing it on Harlequin's shoulder. The fur on the Mawile's face was streaked with tears, but she still managed to give the Zorua a reassuring smile.

"Start from the beginning."

Harlequin nodded and swallowed audibly. "After I'd heard he'd been killed, I just fell to bits. The next thing I know, Harbinger is leaving Scratch and Claw with me in case any dark Pokemon decide to come after me." She nodded towards the two Pawniard.

"You found Harbinger?" Faith asked.

"Yes. I returned his Mega Stone and he went to the Fairy Garden for training. He said he'd come back and look for me after, but I've no idea how long he'll be there. I don't even know if he's even made it." She grit her teeth and shook her head sharply. "I've been going back and forth for days now, trying to figure something out. This is all I've got! A sneaky entrance and a plan to stab Hydreigon with the Nidoking horn."

There was a long silence, interspersed with the occasional grating from the fidgety Pawniard's claws.

"That's your plan?" Cleo finally asked.

"It's the best I can do," said Harlequin. "An outright confrontation would only end up blowing this whole thing into a massive war. This gets rid of the problem at its source."  
"But... what about the fairy type?" Faith asked.

"That's where you come in." Harlequin looked up at the small group of Pokemon. "You stay by the wall, and pick off any dark Pokemon that try to stop me. Any that look like they're going to cause an uproar, distract them. Destroy them."

"How do you plan to get inside?" asked Cleo. "Surely it's not going to be easy."

Harlequin rubbed her paws together and looked down at the ground. "I'll take on the form of a Deino. There's a lot of those there, and they're blind so one wandering outside the walls won't be seen as unusual. With so many of them around, I won't stand out. If I can get into the throne room, I can rush him with the horn and use my illusion to run."

Faith stood up and took a step back, clasping her paws behind her back. "It sounds a bit risky."

Cleo was still staring at Harlequin. "It's the best plan we've got." She grabbed the keys from the desk and unlocked the door.

Spark looked up at her sharply. "You're going along with it?!"

"Listen. We've been wanting to put an end to this war for a long time, and now we've just found out it's going to get a lot worse! If there's a chance we can stop Hydreigon before he wakes up Yveltal, we might as well give it a try!"

The key clicked in the lock and Cleo swung the gate open. Harlequin gave her a smile and moved out into the room.

"I agree with Faith," said Spark. "It does sound rather dangerous."

"Just stepping outside is dangerous," said Cleo. "And it will get a lot worse if we don't stop him."

Harlequin cast her eyes up and down Cleo's body. "Are you sure you're fit to walk?"

"I'm due to have this cast off tomorrow. I don't know if they'll want me to walk so much straight away, but to be honest I don't plan on sitting around much longer." She paused and looked down at the keys. "I don't think Tinker is going to be too happy if you're walking around New City, though."

"Then I'll wait in the cells." Harlequin looked back at the gate and her eyes widened at Faith.

The Mawile was approaching the Pawniard twins, her paw stretched out to them.

"Hi there! So you're Scratch and Claw?"

The two Pawniard looked from Faith's face to her paw and back, slowly edging away from her.

"It's okay!" Faith told them. "You don't need to be afraid of me, I'm a friend!"

"They're not afraid of you, they're afraid of cutting you," said Harlequin. "Their species was shunned for it since they're covered in blades."

"That's awful!" Faith shook her head sadly and looked back at the two Pawniard. "Well, I'm a steel type, so it won't hurt me that much."

This seemed to calm the two nervous Pokemon and their arms fell to their sides.

"Really?" one of them asked.

"Really!"

They jumped slightly as Faith managed to place a paw on each of their heads. She gave them a warm smile.

"See? You're not that dangerous, are you?"

The large eyes of the two Pawniard brothers softened and they looked up at her, small tears starting to trickle down their faces. They moved into her, burying their faces into her neck and letting out small sobs. She placed her arms around each of them and laughed.

A small smile played on Harlequin's face as she watched her. "She really has a way with others doesn't she?"

"She really does!" said Spark. "Now if only she could get Tinker to listen to her..."

Cleo looked at the closed door then back at the Zorua. The question that had been playing on her mind since she'd seen that badge crept back to the front and she shifted against her crutch.

"You said you got the badge off Mischief?"  
"Yes," said Harlequin.

"When?"

Harlequin licked her lips and looked away from her. "I know I shouldn't have done it, Cleo, but I took him to the Border Woods with me. I told him we might be able to find a cure there."

"You tricked him?!" Cleo clenched a fist and took a deep breath to steady herself. Faith's eyes were on her now, along with the two Pawniard who were bracing themselves to leap to Harlequin's defence.

"I didn't outright trick him," Harlequin told her. "I know I shouldn't have dragged him there. There was too much risk of him being caught! But the Heretics have more settlements that way. If they made the Pokerus, they might have a cure for it. Anyway, when we got wind of what was happening, we ran together. I parted ways with him yesterday, back in the mountains."

Cleo narrowed her eyes. "Which mountains?"

Harlequin nodded towards the door. "The silent ones your city is built under."

Cleo continued to stare at her, her eyes no longer narrowed as she took all this in. She swallowed drily and looked at the door.

"He's in the mountains?"

"Yes. But I don't know how much longer he'll be there, Cleo. He seemed pretty adamant on finding a cure after his last outburst."

"Why?" Cleo felt her stomach tie in knots. "What did he do?"

Harlequin pawed at the floor and looked away from her. "He killed a friend."

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	57. Wisps on the Wind

**A/N - Thank you for all reviews, faves and follows! =D You guys are awesome!**

**When do you want me to start uploading the background one-shots for this fanfic? I've written three so far, and I'm hoping to get more done before the new year. They go into more detail about the individual characters and their backstories than I venture into in the main story, but I think we're getting to the stage where it wouldn't be too spoilery, if at all.**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

57 – Wisps on the Wind

After their meeting with Harlequin, the small group of Pokemon arrived back in New City's tunnels.

Tinker walked silently on ahead of them, letting Cleo hobble along on her crutch beside Faith. The Riolu had been silently seething for the duration of the journey and had slammed the door to the cell closed with a hefty clang after Harlequin obediently went back inside it.

Cleo pawed at her bag. She hadn't left it behind in the medical ward, she didn't like to leave it anywhere no matter how safe New City claimed to be. Her mind was on asking Tinker one favour, hopefully one he would oblige to.

She moved past the elevator to the medical ward and Faith cleared her throat softly, drawing Cleo's attention back to her.

"Are you daydreaming, Cleo? The elevator's here." The Mawile chuckled and nodded to the large wooden box.

"I know. I'm going to Tinker's office. I'll meet you down there shortly." Cleo turned away from her and felt Spark leap from her shoulder. She looked down at the Dedenne and raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

"Yeh. I aint getting caught in the crossfire of a blazing row. He's all yours, sister."  
Cleo watched Spark waddle over to the elevator. She glanced back down the tunnel. Tinker had long since moved out of sight. She looked back at the Dedenne.

"What makes you think there's going to be a row?"  
Spark gave a small shrug. "Let's face it, Cleo. He's been getting more and more riled up recently and I don't think you letting Harlequin out of her cell has helped matters."

"Well I really need to ask him something. I want to head off to find Mischief tomorrow, and I need to make some preparations."

"Mischief?" Spark gasped.

Faith scratched her head. "I don't think he'd be too happy about that. Mischief is the one who handed over his badge."

"Yes," said Cleo. "Because he knew Harlequin wouldn't hurt us. It's not as if he handed it to an army of Weavile."

Faith clasped her paws behind her back. "Unfortunately Tinker doesn't seem to see it like that."

"Well all I can do is try. I'll see you later." Cleo turned away from them and made her way down the tunnel.

It wound a couple of times before she found herself standing before Tinker's closed office door. She gave it a sharp knock and pushed it open. The Riolu was sat at his desk and he had to turn his head fully to look at her with his good eye before grumbling and returning to his paperwork.

"What do you want, Cleo?"

"I need to ask you a favour." She moved into his office, masking her nerves with a deliberate stride made all the more awkward with the cumbersome cast on her leg.

"Oh really?" Tinker dropped his pen and leant back in his chair. "What is it? You want a room in the city for Harlequin now, do you?"

The sneer in his voice caused Cleo to reconsider her question, but she really needed his help right now. She reached into her bag and pulled out the collar and bracelet she'd previously been using with Harlequin. Tinker didn't remove his eyes off it as she placed it on his desk.

"I need you to modify this."  
"Modify it? Whatever for?"

"I want to use it on Mischief. However, we still need him to be able to use his attacks."

Tinker fixed his good eye on her, his mouth turned into a frown. "What good will that do?"

"You already know that the Pokemon this is attached to can't be hit by the other's physical attacks. That went for me as well. I couldn't scratch Harlequin when I tried to. I'm sure you could modify it so the special attacks won't hit me either. Am I right?"

Tinker scratched his nose and looked back down at the two objects. "The idea was that the Pokemon wearing it would be restricted. It was meant to be a mobile cell, in a way. A punishment, giving you the option to take a dangerous Pokemon with you without risking the lives of others."

"Yes. I see that. But can you tweak it?"

"Why on earth do you want Mischief to help you? He's already proven he can't be trusted."

"You're wrong. He's proven he can indeed be trusted." Cleo fixed her yellow eyes on Tinker's. "Believe me, he wouldn't have sent Harlequin back here if he thought she'd pose a risk to New City."

"How do you know that, Cleo? We still don't know his history, and he up and left you."

"I know because I know him. And the only reason he left is because he thought he might hurt us!" Cleo choked back a sob and slammed a paw down on the desk next to the collar and bracelet, causing them to rattle on the wooden surface. "If there's any way I can convince him to help us again, it's with this."  
Tinker let out a long breath through his nose and picked up the collar in both paws. Cleo turned and hobbled back to the door.

"You do know," said Tinker slowly, "that it won't be long until that Pokerus completely takes him over?"

She looked over her shoulder at him. He wasn't looking at her, but she could tell he was listening. He reached into his toolbox and pulled out a small screwdriver, still holding the collar in his other paw.

She placed a paw on the door handle and pulled it open. "Then... I'll do everything I can to help him."

"You might not be able to."

Cleo faltered in the doorway. Her heart felt heavy. Facing the reality of this fact wasn't something she really wanted to do.

"I'm not giving up on the hope that there's _something_ that can help him. But if there's nothing I can do, I can at least be there for him."

She pulled the door closed behind her, catching a last glimpse of Tinker, motionless as he stared down at the collar with the screwdriver clasped in one paw, his muzzle crinkled in thought.

...

"Well! You're ready to go." Melody the Audino tossed the scraps of Cleo's cast into the bag next to her. "I would avoid doing too much at once though."

Cleo towelled off her leg with a scrap of cloth and dropped it into the bucket of water. "I'm afraid I'll be leaving this place today. I can't just sit around."

Melody gave her a stern look. "I can't stop you, but so long as you take it easy..."

"We'll make sure of that."  
They looked over to the elevator. Spark was stood on it beside Faith with her tiny arms folded across her chest. Cleo cracked a smile and stood up. She was delightfully impressed her leg could hold her weight. Deep down, she'd been fearing it would give her immediate problems and slow her down.

Faith grinned widely. "Nice to see you standing normally! Are you coming to lunch?"

Cleo shook her head. "I'm going to see Tinker then head out and look for Mischief."

Spark frowned. "Already? Without lunch?"

"I'll grab what I need. I really want to find him before sunset."

"Cleo..." Spark scratched behind her ear and eyed Cleo's leg. "You're going to be scrambling over rocks while you should be waiting until you've fully recovered. You can't expect to find him so soon."

Cleo glanced behind her. Melody had vanished into her little office. She grabbed the rope and began to pull the elevator back up.

"Well I don't think Hydreigon is going to wait for my leg to heal before he tries to revive Yveltal."

Spark let out a sigh while Faith nodded.

"That's true," said Faith. "Hopefully you'll be able to find Mischief soon."

The elevator finally reached the floor above the ward and they climbed out. Cleo turned towards Tinker's office and glanced back at Faith and Spark.

"I'll try to catch you two before I leave."

Spark's eyes opened impossibly wide. "You're goin' without us?!"

Cleo clenched and unclenched her paws, looking away from the two stunned Pokemon.

"I don't know how Mischief will react to a sudden audience. What I want to do is find him and bring him back here. Basically... if I'm not back at New City in two full days, I want you to come and find me."

"Find you?" Spark raised an eyebrow. "Why's that?"

Cleo hesitated for a moment and looked down at her paws. "I'm fearing what Tinker said... about the Pokerus fully taking over." She paused. "What if he's already reached that stage?"

The other Pokemon were silent for a moment as they thought over this. Finally, Faith's voice broke the silence.

"What you're doing might be quite dangerous. But hopefully he won't have reached that stage."

Cleo nodded and looked back at them. "Hopefully. I'll pop in to the dining room to see you before I head off out."

Faith gave a small wave. "Take care, Cleo."

"Aye!" Spark nodded. "Look after yourself."

Cleo watched the two Pokemon walk away down the corridor and then turned to make her way to Tinker's office.

She suddenly felt very lonely. She'd not been separated from Spark like this before, and knowing she was going to be moving through the mountains on her own, with the risk of dark Pokemon attacking, was a very daunting thought. Sure, she could handle herself now with the use of disarming voice, but it still left a heavy feeling in her stomach.

Tinker's door seemed rather foreboding. She knocked lightly and pushed it open. The Riolu was sat at his desk talking with Skipper. The Marshtomp grinned widely and waved a clawed flipper.

"Hey, it's Cleo! Lookin' well now wi' ye leg all healed, aye?"

Cleo returned his smile. "Yes. I plan to head out today, actually." She turned to Tinker. "Have you fixed the collar?"

"I have." Tinker pushed the collar and bracelet across the table without looking at her. "It should do what you requested."

"Thank you."

Tinker waved a paw and turned his back on her. "Don't mention it."

Cleo stared at the back of his head and caught a raised eyebrow off Skipper. She shrugged and stuffed the combo in her bag. Before she reached the door, Tinker's voice froze her in her tracks.

"I just hope such a device doesn't hurt his already weak self esteem."

She looked back over her shoulder. Tinker still had his back to her and Skipper was looking from each of them in turn, his eyebrow rising even higher. He looked as though he might be preparing to spring up and jump between them.

Cleo placed a paw on the doorknob and fixed her eyes on the back of Tinker's head.

"My guess is it could go either way," she said flatly. "I won't know unless I try."

She closed the door and marched off down the corridor.

...

The Silent Mountains were as silent as she remembered them. Not a single Pokemon in sight, not even a Murkrow flying through the air or perched on a tree. It had always puzzled her why nothing seemed to want to lurk around these mountains. The Heretics Tinker had come across had been an odd occurrence, and there wasn't even any sign of them.

She wondered if it was something to do with the surrounding forest and moors. Did the mountains feel too exposed compared to the vast trees and shrubberies below? She shrugged it off and kept pressing on.

Her leg wasn't giving her too much trouble, but it was beginning to ache a little. It would probably be wise to rest soon, but the sun wasn't even setting yet. Rest or not, she only had just short of two full days to find Mischief.

If he was even still in the mountains...

She grit her teeth and faltered slightly. She hadn't really considered that. Harlequin had said she'd left Mischief two days ago now. He could easily be in the forests, and here she was searching empty cavities and scanning the crags below.

Her eyes fell on the river running through the forest. The trees were still empty of leaves but the snow had almost fully melted away now. Any sign of green ended long before it reached the river bank. The soil was still unhealthy, which meant the trees beside the river were definitely dead. A few of the weaker ones had blown over in the strong winds during the cold season, either lying across the river or leaning against the ones still standing tall beside them.

The sight made her heart ache.

The river was now clean, but it had been the first real outing they'd had with Mischief as part of their team.

Loneliness stabbed at her chest and she half expected Spark to say something from her shoulder, but nothing came. She grit her teeth again and tore her eyes away, pressing on through the mountains.

A light breeze picked up, followed by a small ray of sunshine poking through the thick, white clouds. The warming season was on its way, and soon all the snow would be gone. She looked up in the direction of the wind, and something caught her eye.

Blowing softly on the breeze were some white, wispy seeds.

Seeds... she jolted. It was much too early for seeds.

Scrabbling over the rocks, she made her way towards them. They danced beside a rocky outcrop covered with a thick layer of ice and moved through the air past her. As she drew closer, she could see many of the seeds clinging to the surface of the rock, and a thick layer of them clutched to a long, thick icicle that hung down over the opening of a small cavern.

She peered through it and there, lying sprawled on the ground, was Mischief. At first glance he looked to be asleep, but his breathing appeared to be shallow and rapid.

"Mischief?"

No response... she pulled herself back from the opening and stared at the large icicle looming from the top of the cavern mouth. The gap between the ice and the opening was much too narrow for her to enter, but a Whimsicott would have no trouble wriggling their way inside. She'd need to remove the ice first.

She clutched at the large icicle and dragged her claws through it. Her paw slipped against the surface, the cold penetrating her paw pads with a fierce intensity. She yelped and snatched it back, stuffing it into her mouth as she looked up at the ice. It was topped with a thick layer of snow, slowly melting and trickling down the icicle where it dripped onto the cold stones below.

She needed to get inside, but using her powers to strike or move the icicle could result in an avalanche. She searched her surroundings for something she could use, something to chip away the ice and make enough room for her to get inside.

There... lying a few feet away was a pile of loose rubble. She rummaged through it until she found a rock small enough to hold in one paw while being large enough to use as a tool. None of them were perfect, many of them being too blunt to make any quick progress against the ice. She examined the chosen rock with its lumpy, blunt surface and gave a shrug. It would have to do.

She chiselled away at the large icicle for what felt like an eternity. She had to be careful so as not to disturb the snow above it, and the sun was beginning to set by the time she'd done enough damage to actually remove the icicle. She hadn't expected it to break free, but it was a very welcome surprise.

She lay it on the ground next to her and blew on her paws to warm them up as she moved into the cavern. Her eyes remained on Mischief, scanning him for any sign of damage or hostility. She couldn't see anything visible. She dropped down next to him and placed a paw on his shoulder, giving him a gentle shake.

"Mischief? Are you..."

She looked down at her paw. His fur felt cold and damp, likely due to the humid air as the wind blew through the cave.

Cold... and alone. A lone grass type braving the harsh, cold weather.

She stuffed her paws in her bag and pulled out the old yellow sheet they used to use as a tent. She threw it over them both and huddled up to him, trying to warm him up with her own body heat. The familiar smell of pollen reached her nostrils and she looped an arm around his waist and pulled herself into him, burying her face into the thick fur on his chest. Her eyes stung with tears as she became overwhelmed with how much she'd missed him and she sobbed silently into his fur.

She had no idea how much time passed as she lay there. The mountains were deathly silent, and the cave was already dark as the sun set on the other side of the mountain. What was left of the fading light dwindled away with the setting sun.

Cleo actually thought she may have fallen asleep when a small mumble caused her eyes to flicker open. Mischief stirred in her arms and she felt his paw trail over her collar and ears. His breathing had become steadier, but she heard him gasp a couple of times as he pulled back to look at her.

"Cleo? … Are you... really...?"

She tried to meet his eyes but didn't get the chance as she was pulled back into him. His arm clasped firmly around her shoulders and she felt him nuzzle the spot between her ears as his body shook with sobs.

"Please tell me you're really here," he said.

"I'm here."

"Because I don't want it to be a dream again."

"Mischief, I'm here."

Her voice came out as a breath. A dream? Had he missed her too? She wriggled in his grip to look up at him and he moved back so he could meet her eyes. They were wet as tears streaked from them over his cheeks, but they were glazed over as though he wasn't actually seeing her. She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off as he pressed his lips against hers, catching her in a kiss that knocked her off guard. She looped her paws around his neck and kissed him back, the heat from his body warming through her fur.

Warm... he was _too_ warm...

She pulled back from him and he protested, grabbing at her as she wriggled back from beneath the blanket.

"No! Don't leave me!"

"I'm not leaving you." She ran a paw over her head and tried to catch her breath, distracting herself with her bag. "I couldn't leave you like this anyway. You're sick."

He flopped back down onto the ground, keeping his eyes on her as though worried she'd vanish at any moment.

"I love you."

She stopped what she was doing, her eyes wide as she stared back at him. He lay there watching her, his breath coming in quick, heavy bursts.

"I love you, Cleo. So much. Every day I've regretted leaving you." He stretched out a paw to her as far as it would go and let it fall onto the blanket. "Don't go..."

Her heart flopped in her chest and she looked away from him. He loved her... Did he actually mean any of this? Or was it just a feverish delusion? If so, there was a chance he wouldn't remember any of this. She wasn't sure whether she should say anything back and risk embarrassing herself or leave it and explain later.

One thing was for certain. He definitely needed help. She rummaged through her bag, pulling out various berries as she searched through them.

"The cold has got to you," she told him. "You have a fever."  
She scooped up two berries – a sitrus and a lum. She wasn't sure if he needed the latter, but it wouldn't hurt to rule things out in case any frost had affected him. She scooted over to him and he pushed himself up on his elbow, trying to reach out to her with his other paw.

"Come on." She placed an arm around his shoulders and helped him to sit up, placing the sitrus berry in his groping paw. "Eat this."  
He stared down at it absently then placed it beside him, turning back to Cleo. She cut him off before he could speak, reaching across him for the berry.

"Mischief, come on!" She stuffed it back in his paw. "I want you to get better, now eat it."  
He stared back down at the berry and turned it in his paws. "You don't feel the same... do you?"

She crossed her paws over her knees and leant forwards on them, letting out a small sigh. "I don't know how much of this is coming from you or the fever." She paused and looked away from him to the cavern mouth. It was completely dark outside now. "We'll talk in the morning when you've eaten these berries and had a sleep."

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	58. Worries

**A/N - I'm just kinda staring at this blank spot above the page. I don't really have anything to say today it seems.**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

58 – Worries

Spark paced back and forth in front of the small room she'd shared with Faith. The Mawile was still sleeping soundly but Spark had barely slept a wink. It had only been one night since Cleo had left, and she was very aware Cleo had told them not to go looking for her until two days had passed without her return, but Spark was growing very anxious.

Two days... a lot could happen in two days... that's two day's Spark and Faith could have watched her back, helped her should any Pokemon attack.

Two days...

"If you're not careful, you'll wear a track into the floor."

Spark looked behind her to find Faith chuckling in the doorway and smiling down at her. The Mawile stretched and covered her mouth as she yawned.

"I'm sorry," said Spark. "Did I wake you?"  
"I woke up to hear you talking to yourself, but you didn't wake me."

Spark blinked. "I was talking to myself?"  
Faith chuckled again and moved out into the tunnel. "I take it you want breakfast?"

Spark nodded slowly. "Yeh, but it aint the same without Cleo."

Faith made a thoughtful noise and scratched the base of her horn. "I know. You two have been together since you were hatchlings." She looked down at Spark and almost frowned at the Dedenne's worried expression. "Do you want to go looking for her?"

There was a little hope behind Faith's voice and Spark felt a little lighter knowing she wasn't alone in her worries.

"Thing is," Spark began, "if we go looking for her, she might come back here and wonder where we are."  
Faith nodded. "I know."

"On the other hand..." Spark stared blankly ahead as she thought this over. "She can't have got very far in one day, and she would have stopped to rest. We might be able to catch up with her."  
"How do you suppose we do that?" Faith asked. "She could be anywhere."  
Spark felt a grin spread across her face and she looked up at the Mawile. "We use Harlequin's nose."  
Faith returned her grin with a smile of her own. "That's a great idea! We can grab a quick breakfast and then we'll be on our way."  
Spark trotted to keep up with Faith. "Normally I'd feel a bit distressed at the thought of a quick breakfast, but I'm with you on this one. We need to get a wiggle on."

The dining room was rather empty at this time, as most of the inhabitants of New City were still asleep, but the table was still set up ready with a small assortment of berries from the harvest gathered before the cold season. A mere pawful of Pokemon were sat at the table, but Spark's 'good morning' died on her tongue and she paused to take everything in. Sandpaw and Scout were sat with Tinker, Skipper and Starshine exchanging silent looks. Across from them sat another Marshstomp wearing a pink bow, rebuking Tad in her thick accent for causing trouble. Whatever the problem was, it went straight over Spark's head.

"Is everything all right?" Faith ventured to ask.

The Pokemon looked over at them for the first time, and the heated discussion between the Marshstomp and her child came to an abrupt end. Tinker cleared his voice and looked away from them.

"Yes, quite."

"Faith!" Sandpaw leapt out of her seat and rushed to embrace the Mawile. "So nice to see you!"  
"You've seen me every day since I arrived back here!" Faith chuckled and returned the Furret's favour.

"I know! But you're one of my favourite Pokemon here in New City." Sandpaw took Faith's paw and led her to the dining table.

Spark hopped up on a stool next to her and helped herself to a small plate of berries.

"Oh no! Spark's here!" Scout gasped. "The table will soon be empty!" He quickly grabbed a couple of oran berries and shot Spark a cheeky grin.

Sandpaw nudged him. "Don't be cheeky, Scout."

"Nah, he has a point." Spark dropped some oran and razz berries onto her plate and dropped back onto her stool. "But we're havin' a quick breakfast today."

"Yes, we want to be off soon," Faith explained. "We need to find Cleo. So, just to let you know, Tinker, we'll be taking Harlequin and the Pawniard with us."

The Riolu frowned. "I think not! Those Pokemon are prisoners."

"By choice," said Faith. "You should know by now that Harlequin isn't our enemy."

Tinker leant forwards on the table and rubbed his temples.

"She gave Meredith's village an antidote," Faith went on. "Defended Scout from a Murkrow attack, amongst other things, and now she's come back here to ask for help destroying Hydreigon. How much more proof do you need?"

"I don't trust dark Pokemon," Tinker said flatly.

"I agree they have a bad reputation," said Faith. "But not all dark Pokemon are bad. A type is just a type, it doesn't decide what side you are on. You should know that as well as anyone."

Faith's eyes went to Starshine and Tinker followed her gaze. The Swablu looked up from his plate of berries to look at the both of them in turn.

"Why are you staring at me?" he asked.

Tinker looked up and let out a long sigh as he ran his paw down his muzzle. "Fine. Take the Zorua with you. I have enough to worry about right now. Letting you take him is much easier than dealing with Cleo demanding his freedom."

Faith flashed him a smile. "Thank you!"  
Tinker grimaced and looked away from her, prodding at a berry with a claw.

"So..." Sandpaw cast Faith a sideways glance. "You're leaving?"  
Faith nodded. "Uhuh! Just as soon as we finish breakfast."  
"Oh..." The Furret stared down at her empty plate and ran a claw around the rim. "Can we... go with you?"  
Spark dropped a berry and looked up at her. All eyes were now on Sandpaw, and Tinker looked less than pleased.

"You want to leave?" He tried to keep his voice calm, but it wavered non the less.

Sandpaw nodded briskly. "Yes. Now Scout is old and strong enough to accompany me, I want to find the Fairy Garden."

"That place again..." Tinker leant forward with his head in his paws. "Fine. You can leave."

Sandpaw shifted in her seat and looked at him. "You could come with us?"

"I can't. I've enough on my plate with New City, especially since the melting snow has caused several of the escape tunnels to cave in!"

Faith clasped a paw over her mouth.

"Wha?!" Spark abandoned her plate of berries again. "The escape tunnels?"

Tinker clenched his jaw and let out a low groan. "Keep it amongst yourselves, will you? I don't want all of New City going into an uproar."

"Oh, Tinker!" The female Marshstomp shook her head sadly. "Tha's not somethin' ye can be keepin' from th'Pokemon that live here. They should know stuff like this!"

"Aye, I been tellin' 'im that, sis." Skipper turned to Tinker. "But we got it under control in th'end, didn't we, Tink?"

"Yer sugar coatin' it." The female Marshstomp stood up and made for the door. "Don't ye worry yerselves. I won't be tellin' a soul. But if it gets any more serious..." She narrowed her eyes at Tinker and Skipper, and the two Pokemon sank slightly into themselves. With a nod, she moved through the door.

"Huh." Spark looked from the closed door to Tinker and Skipper. "Maybe she should be in charge of New City?" Tinker frowned at her and Spark returned it. "Now which tunnels?"

Tinker narrowed his eyes. "The tunnel to the cells is fine." He gave a small sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Look. I can assure you, it's fine. This isn't the first time it's happened, and the excavation team are on the task as we speak, filling in the dead tunnels to re-dig later and patching up those that can be saved. Please, don't concern yourselves with this matter."

"We won't." Spark stuffed another berry into her mouth.

Faith gave a wistful sigh and shook her head. "Pokemon really shouldn't be living like this."

...

Cleo was woken abruptly as a firm paw gave her a violent shake. Her eyes snapped open and met a pair of frantic orange eyes. Mischief leapt back from her and huddled by the wall, letting out a loud whine as his body shook with sobs.

She pushed herself up and stared at him. "Are you-"

"What are you doing?!" he demanded. "I thought I..." He looked at his paws and shook his head. "I don't... I can't..."

"Are you still sick?"  
He looked at her sharply and she glanced away and licked her lips. It was a poor choice of words. She tried again.

"You had a fever. The cold had got to you."

She kept one eye on him as she gathered up the yellow cloth. It had been tossed across the cave during his frantic leap, and she was almost certain he hadn't noticed it.

The strength seemed to leave his body and he leant against the cold wall and closed his eyes.

"You shouldn't be around me," he said. "I'm not safe."  
"Harlequin told me everything," she said. "It's clearly been an awful shock to you."

"Where is he?"

"Who?"  
"Harlequin."

Cleo stared at him for a moment and returned to stuffing the sheet into her bag. "In the cells."

"He's lucky I didn't kill him too." Mischief's words were choked with sobs and he wiped a paw across his face. He took in a shaky breath. "How long have you been here?"

Cleo looked away from him as the realisation began to dawn on her. "You don't remember me finding you last night?"

"No."  
There it was. Everything he'd said, he had no memory of it. She fastened her bag and let it fall limply at her side.

"I want to check if your fever's gone down," she said.

"I don't have a fever. I'm just tired."  
"Well it was pretty bad last night." She crawled over to him and he retreated into himself, making himself look incredibly small.

He raised a paw to his chest."You can't touch me!"

"I need to check."  
"I'm too dangerous, Cleo!"  
"Listen! You're not having one of your outbursts right now. You're _not_ dangerous!"

"Stop!"

He swiped her paw away from his shoulder and she fell back from him onto her haunches. His wide, frightened eyes were fixed on hers, and he was breathing heavily. It made her heart break to see him like this.

He leant his head against the wall and closed his eyes. "Please stop."  
"Okay." She let her paws fall into her lap. "I won't touch you."

"I don't feel well. I keep going dizzy. It's happening a lot recently."

"Because of the cold?"  
"It's not the cold. It's worse when I get angry. Then I don't remember anything." He huddled into a ball and sobbed into his arms. "There's no cure. I can't find it. And those who help me only get hurt."

"You can't give up hope-"  
"I told them to run! Harlequin managed to get away, but Flutterwick couldn't fly. The Murkrow had damaged his wing, so he couldn't escape. It was my fault he died! I _killed_ him!" He wailed and his body shook. "What must he have thought of me? I was meant to be his _friend_!"

"He wanted to help you," Cleo said quietly.

Mischief shook his head. "I'm a monster." He took in another shaky breath. "_Please_ go."  
Cleo sat there, staring down at her paws. They blurred as tears filled her eyes and she screwed them shut, shaking her head sharply.

"No."

He looked up at her, his face wet with tears.

"I'm not going to leave you," she said. "I can't bear the thought of being away from you again."

"And I can't bear the thought of hurting you."

"You don't have to." Cleo reached into her bag and pulled out the collar and bracelet. She placed them onto the floor with a soft clatter.

Mischief stared down at them and his expression became unreadable.

"I had Tinker modify it," she explained. "You can still use all of your attacks, but not one of them will touch me."

He placed a paw on the collar gingerly. "What about everyone else?"

"I'll deal with that problem. Since you won't be able to leave my side, I'll make sure I get you as far away from them as possible."

He was silent, but he didn't take his paw off the collar. The hardness behind his eyes softened as he thought this over.

"With this," Cleo went on, "you can join us again and fight against the Darkness. We can look for a cure together as well."

"You know..." He glanced away from her. "I came in this cave to die."

_Die?_ It felt like someone had reached into Cleo's chest and crushed her heart. She blinked back tears and looked away from him.

"I had really given up," he said.

"'_Had_'?" She looked back at him.

"Yes." He trailed his paw over the collar. "If there's still hope out there, then... I want to hang on to it."

"Does that mean you're joining us again?"

He gave a small nod. "If you can guarantee this collar works, then yes."  
A small smile played on Cleo's lips. She picked up the collar and snapped it open. Mischief flinched at the sound and she looked from him to the collar. When this was on him, that was it. So long as she wore the bracelet, she wouldn't be able to touch him. Her paws brushed the soft, creamy-white fur on his shoulders and he raised a paw to her arm, hovering a mere hair's breadth away from her fur. Her heart leapt in her chest. Everything he'd said to her the night before came rushing back. Even if he didn't remember it, she did. And deep down, she was certain he meant it.

She shifted and his eyes met hers. No longer worried and frantic, he looked... sorry. There was a tenderness behind his eyes that stirred something inside her and her paws faltered as she prepared to close the collar.

He'd asked the night before if she felt the same way he did. She'd regretted not saying anything back, but doing so would only have affirmed it with herself, and it would have made this a lot harder.

His paw shook as it trailed up the length of her arm and her eyes shot to it.

"I'm sorry." His breath tickled her face and she closed her eyes. "I just... you said once this collar is on that... I can't touch you." He swallowed audibly. "I wanted to."

Cleo's stomach tied itself in knots. She blinked back fresh tears and pressed the ends of the collar together. They snapped into place with a loud click.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	59. Stalker

**A/N - Thank you for all reviews, faves and follows =D Next week I'll begin uploading the one-shots, since after next Monday's update we'll be out of spoiler-range for the ones I've done so far. Once a week should be good I think, at least to start. I'll mention it in the author's notes when I've started submitting them, but if you're excited for them and you've not followed me already, please follow so you get the notification for the one-shots as soon as they go up! =D You've come all this way! I don't want you to miss out!**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

59 – Stalker

Cleo sat looking out of the cave opening, what was left of the icicles looking like sharp teeth bared in an intimidating snarl. Water dripped from them, landing with a soft patter onto the wet floor. The sky outside was dimming as the sun set behind her. The only other sounds beside the patter of water was Mischief's steady breathing as he slept further back in the cave.

Cleo glanced back at him. He'd fallen asleep shortly after she'd secured the collar on him. The poor Whimsicott was still exhausted. His fever had gone down significantly, but his despair and anxiety hadn't helped his recovery at all. She thought back to what he'd said and his actions towards her. He seemed to be full of self loathing now.

She looked down at her paws and wound her claws together. There was no way she could relate to how he felt. There had to be a cure somewhere, there just had to. But even so, a cure couldn't bring back the life he'd accidentally taken. He'd probably never forgive himself.

Another noise reached her ears and her body tensed, the fur on her back standing on end. The patter of falling pebbles rolling down the mountain side, fading away into the distance. She waited for something else... anything... but nothing came. Regardless, her fur didn't settle back into place. Those pebbles couldn't just fall on their own, something must have disturbed them. That thought didn't bode well with her.

These mountains were silent, no Pokemon lived in them. The only thing that could have disturbed those rocks would have been a strong gust of wind, but the wind wasn't howling away out there. So if those rocks had fallen... something must have nudged them. It was the only other logical explanation.

Her paws itched for her to stand up and go and investigate – to at least get out of this cave. If there was a Pokemon out there, or worse – a group of dark Pokemon – then they would end up trapped in this cave. It didn't help matters that Mischief was asleep and too weak to fight. She looked back at Mischief, then down at her bracelet, then the cave entrance. Mischief, bracelet, entrance. She warred with the urge to remove it and check, but if she did that, and she ended up falling in battle, he would then be trapped alone.

She clenched her teeth together and grimaced. She had no choice. She needed to wake him up and take him with her.

She moved over to him and grabbed his shoulder, giving him a gentle shake.

"Huh?" His eyes fluttered open and he fixed her with a bleary gaze. "What's wrong?"  
"I think there's someone outside." She glanced back to the entrance. Those icicles were beginning to look a lot more intimidating, like they were trapped in a giant maw.

"Really?"

He rubbed a paw across his eyes and pushed himself up. Cleo's heart sank at the effort he had to put into it. So long as she got them both out of this cave and to safety, that's all that mattered. She stood up beside him and a dull ache spread through her leg. She visibly flinched and looked down at herself. Great. She'd almost forgotten about that. Neither of them were in the best shape to fight.

She motioned for Mischief to stay quiet and they crept to the cave's mouth. Cleo peered outside and searched up and down the mountains. The sun had very nearly set, making the rocks cast large shadows over the brittle vegetation and high crags. It felt a lot more sinister, amplified only by the still winds and silence that flooded the mountainous region.

Cleo couldn't see anything, but she knew all too well that didn't mean there was nothing there. She'd fought dark Pokemon enough to know they can hide in the shadows perfectly.

Her mouth felt very dry, and she tried her best to swallow and breathe as quietly as she could. There was every possibility that whatever it was had fled, worried it had given the game away by knocking those rocks out of place. However, it wasn't a risk she was willing to take.

It could just as easily have been a trick.

She didn't know what to do. If any enemy Pokemon knew they were there, they didn't need to lure them out. They could have trapped them easily.

Trapped.

Her heart hammered against her ribs. She couldn't bear it any more. They needed to move.

She stepped out from the cave and climbed over the rocky ground, trying to avoid the long, stretching shadows cast by the crags above them. Mischief's light footing behind her made no noise whatsoever, but her paws over the rocks sounded too loud to her ears. Her limp was also visible. If any dark Pokemon noticed that, she'd be considered easy prey.

What she wanted to do was get back down to the moors, or the forest, and hide. There were more places to hide – bushes, trees, the tunnels leading to New City. Once inside, the enemy Pokemon wouldn't be able to get to them.

She searched around with her eyes, scanning the shadows as she tried to get her bearings. She knew where she was. She wasn't far from the river, the opening that led to the cave where they'd found the Seviper bodies. If they could get there, they could get into New City. Get to safety.

The only problem was getting there. With a sore leg and an exhausted Mischief, climbing down the steep mountain side wouldn't be easy.

"Cleo!" Mischief hissed.

She looked back at him. His head was turned, fixed on a dark shape slinking towards them. Cleo faltered, almost stumbling over the uneven ground. Those pointed ears, whip-like tail and lean body could only belong to one Pokemon.

Liepard.

The moonlight reflected briefly off a pair of green eyes and a set of canines flashed in a grin.

"Well, pretty kitty... looks like I've found you." A velvety voice purred at her as the Liepard drew closer, his head held low and ears pulled back against his skull.

Cleo gulped, standing so close to Mischief that the bracelet on her wrist vibrated as it tried to keep the distance between them. Liepard weren't known to be accident prone. This Pokemon knew they were hiding in that cave. He had no intention of cornering them. He wanted the chase. He wanted to frighten them. Those pebbles falling while he lay silently in wait was nothing more than a mind game.

"Can you fight?" she whispered to Mischief.

Mischief didn't answer, but his body went tense. Want to or not, he'd fight if he had to.

Cleo braced herself. As the Liepard drew ever closer, she kept her eyes on him, looking for an opportunity to spring an attack.

"Why aren't you running?" the Liepard purred. "Are you really going to make this easy for me?" He snorted. "That's no fun."

He flashed his canines and leapt.

This was it.

Cleo unfurled her ears and a flash of pink light followed an ear-splitting yell. The Liepard was send rolling backwards across the rocks. He leapt back to his feet in one fluid motion, the hair along his back bristling as he let out a low snarl.

Cleo took a step backwards, her heart hammering even faster in her chest. His smooth footwork over the rocks as he advanced towards them again showed no sign her attack had dealt much damage to him.

"What on earth was that?!" he growled. "Psychic attacks aren't supposed to affect me!"

"It wasn't a psychic attack." Cleo's voice wavered and her eyes went to the Liepard's sharp canines. "And I'm not the only one who can use fairy attacks. My friend can too."

The Liepard's green eyes locked onto Mischief briefly before snapping back to Cleo. "Then I'll just have to kill the both of you."

As he sprang into the air, a flash of metal whipped up the mountain past him and he flinched, stumbling forwards with a grunt. His head snapped round to look up at the crag where it vanished. Cleo braced herself to strike him again, but a smaller black form landed at his side.

"Leave her!"  
The Liepard looked round at the voice and his eyes widened as they instead went to his shoulder. Cleo could make out a vibrant red spreading out across his purple fur. Whatever that metal flash was, it had struck him.

Harlequin stepped out of the shadows towards him. She gave a snort and frowned. "Another assassin sent out on the hunt?"

The Liepard's eyes fixed on Harlequin, wide with fear. He snapped his head round to the crag above them. The Pawniard twins stood peering back down at him, their blades glinting in the moonlight. His eyes seemed to bulge out of his head and he gasped, his breathing turning raspy as his legs trembled. He looked back at the red patch on his shoulder and all strength left his legs as he collapsed to the floor.

"No!" He shook his head sharply. "No! Oh, no! Please! I don't want to die!"  
Cleo placed her paw on her chest as she watched the whimpering Liepard. His eyes were screwed shut and his breath was coming in loud, frantic bursts. She'd never seen a dark Pokemon react like this. She took a step back from him and Harlequin's blue eyes flashed towards her, freezing her in her tracks, before locking back onto the Liepard.

"You might not want to die, but you wouldn't have hesitated killing those two?"

"I'm just doing what I was told to do!" The Liepard opened one green eye and fixed it on Harlequin. "You were the same!"

Harlequin's jaw stiffened. "Yes. I _used to be_."

The Liepard snorted between gasps. "Yet you're just going to let me die?"

Harlequin stared down at him for a moment while he watched her through one eye. His mouth was slightly open as he struggled to catch his breath, his ribs rising and falling rapidly.

"You're just like I was," she said. "Terrified you'd be killed if you put a paw out of line. You know you don't _need _to go back?"

The Liepard flashed his canines. "Not go back? Become a rebel?! You heard what happened to Enigma!"

Harlequin flinched.

"I was sent to find you, Harlequin. These two Outcasts are friends of yours. I was tracking them to find _you_."

Cleo tensed and she looked from the Zorua to the Liepard. She heard a chink of metal grating on rock above them as the Pawniard prepared to strike. Silence washed over them, broken only by the Liepard's heavy breathing. Harlequin stared at him, her blue eyes narrowed into slits. She let out a breath and relaxed.

"And yet all you're doing is talking to me?" Harlequin asked.

"I can't do anything else, you poisoned me!"

A smile split across the Zorua's face. "Did I? I don't recall saying that."

The Liepard's eyes widened and he raised his head to look at her. Harlequin raised a paw and examined it.

"You think because of my reputation I'd just poison any of my enemies. Your reaction is purely psychological."

She looked back at him, the smile gone from her face. The Liepard's fur bristled and he rose shakily to his feet.

Cleo's ears hummed as she braced herself to launch an attack, but the Liepard's attention went back to his wounded shoulder.

"Like I said, you don't have to go back," Harlequin told him. "Outside the Shadow Lands, you're free. You might be running from the eyes of the Murkrow and any other threats, but you'll be free from that oppressive dragon, no longer having to fight his pointless battles."

The Liepard looked back at her, the fur settling along his back. "You really didn't poison me?"

Harlequin shook her head. "You'll be fine."

He gave a snort through his nose and leapt towards her. Cleo let out a gasp and unfurled her ears, but instead the Liepard landed behind Harlequin and vanished down the mountainside. The two Pawniard were now standing beside her, their blades poised to strike, their large eyes searching the shadows for the Liepard. Harlequin gave them an apologetic look and stood up.

"Don't worry. He's gone."

"You spared him?" Cleo asked.

"Yes." Harlequin moved past her and led them away along the narrow path, keeping one eye on the ground below. "I've learned any Pokemon can change if given the chance."

Mischief looked round at her and she gave him a small smile. The Whismicott was trembling, but Cleo wasn't sure if it was fear or weakness from the cold.

"I showed him mercy by sparing him, even though he planned to kill us," Harlequin continued. "Look what happened. He went away and spared our lives. Who knows... maybe he'll find the Fairy Garden?"

Cleo looked back down the rocky slope. Two green eyes flashed up at them from the shadows. They turned away from her and she could make out the lithe form of the Liepard slinking away into the forest.

...

The ground opened up, sloping gently downwards before dropping sharply towards the river. A stiff bramble bush grew out of the ground amongst some stiff, brittle brown weeds that had struggled to survive the cold season.

Harlequin came to a stop and Cleo followed her gaze to the bush where Faith and Sandpaw stood waiting. Cleo raised an eyebrow at them and her eyes went to the tiny form of Spark as she poked her head out of the bush.

"There you are!" the Dedenne hissed.

Cleo shook her head and waved a paw in the air. "I thought I asked you to leave it _two_ days before looking for me?"

"I got worried." Spark's head vanished back into the brambles.

"What if we'd gone back to New City and you weren't there? We'd be walking in circles looking for each other!"

Spark peered out at her again and nodded to Harlequin. "That's where her nose comes in handy."

Cleo sighed and shook her head.

"We're sorry," said Faith. "But I'm so happy to see you're both okay."

The Mawile moved over to them and took Cleo's paws in hers. Her claws brushed the bracelet and she looked down at it and frowned. She looked back at Harlequin but Cleo shook her head sharply. This caught Faith's attention and a look of realisation crossed her face. She glanced over at Mischief and opened her mouth to say something but Cleo cut her off with another wave of her paw.

"I'll explain later. First, I want _you_ to get some rest." She aimed this at Mischief and he nodded.

She pulled the tent out of her bag and quickly set it up. Faith assisted her and Harlequin watched in amazement as the little tent was stood beside the bramble bush.

"Wow!" Sandpaw exclaimed. "I've never seen anything like it."  
Mischief peered inside. "Where did you get it?"

"It was a present off some new friends," said Cleo. "A group of Outcasts who travel around in wagons."  
Mischief's shoulders drooped and he stared blankly at the ground. Knowing so much had happened while he'd been apart from them clearly upset him. Cleo made a mental note to fill him in on all that had passed to get him up to speed once he was rested.

She looked around at the group of Pokemon. Scout had climbed out of the brambles to see what was going on, his eyes bright despite the heavy rings under them.

"Maybe we should set up the other tent?" she suggested.

"I don't think it would work," said Faith. "There are no trees here or anywhere we can prop it up."

"I'm okay to stay in the bush," said Scout.

"I'll stay in the bush as well," said Harlequin. "And so will Scratch and Claw. They can take first watch with me."

The two Pawniard nodded silently.

"Well that's sorted then!" Faith smiled. "I'll stay with them, and Sandpaw and Scout can stay in the tent with you and Mischief."

"And Spark," said Spark as she strutted out of the bush towards Cleo. She covered her mouth in a huge yawn and strolled into the tent.

Mischief stood aside to let Sandpaw and Scout enter before following after them. Cleo turned to join them but was halted in her tracks.

"Cleo?"

She looked back at Harlequin. She was sat staring at her and her eyes travelled down to the bracelet on her wrist. She frowned.

Cleo gave a small sigh and shrugged. "He wouldn't have joined us without it."

Harlequin looked back up at her. "He's okay with it? It doesn't leave him defenceless? Because what we're about to walk into-"

"It's been modified."

Harlequin stared at her silently.

"I can explain more later, okay?"

Harlequin nodded. "Okay. I know you wouldn't do anything drastic without thinking it through."

Cleo looked away and gazed blankly at the mass of rock looming up towards the sky. Harlequin was silent again, staring at the tent. She stood abruptly and moved over to the bramble bush.

"Thank you," said Cleo.

Harlequin froze.

"For helping us," Cleo added. "I don't know if I could have fought off that Liepard."  
Harlequin looked back at her and gave a small smile. "Don't mention it. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Cleo watched Harlequin vanish into the bush. Once she was out of sight, she fell down onto her bottom and absently turned the bracelet round on her wrist.

Drastic... she hadn't really thought of it like that before.

...

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	60. Parting Ways

**A/N - This isn't an especially long chapter. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy it =)**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

60 – Parting Ways

"Tinker!"

Tinker twisted so sharply he almost fell off his chair. The door to his office had been thrown open with such ferocity it bounced off the shelf behind it and shook the contents about, knocking two files to the ground. Sheets of paper floated down after them, the rustle drowned out over Tad's heavy gasps.

The young Marshstomp stood in the doorway with one paw pressed to the frame, his wide eyes fixed on the Riolu as he breathed heavily to catch his breath. His bandana hung lopsided over one eye and he brushed it back with his free paw.

"What on earth is the matter?" Tinker asked as he rose to his feet.

"It's Starshine! He's evolvin'!"

The look of despair on Tad's face told Tinker this was hardly a reason for celebration. He felt his heart hit his throat. He pushed past Tad and bolted for the training room.

"He aint takin' it so well!" Tad gasped behind him. "Keeps screamin'!"  
Tinker picked up his pace, his legs pumping over the well-trodden soil. Pokemon stepped aside as they heard him coming through the market place, their voices of concern drowned out by the rabble. When he hit the training corridor, a group of Guild Warriors were stood outside and by the looks on their faces alone Tinker could have separated them easily into two groups – those who were fearful, and those who were utterly disgusted.

When he pushed through them to enter the room, he found it completely empty save for a lone Altaria panting on the floor.

"Starshine?"

The Altaria opened his eyes to look up at him. "Dad? I don't... feel well."  
Tinker's face split into a smile. So that's all it was? "You'll be fine."  
A loud sigh of relief almost caused Tinker to leap out of his skin. Tad's heavy paw struck the Riolu in the back.

"Och, Starshine. Ye 'ad me thinkin' ye was dyin' or somethin'!" He crossed his paws across his chest and shook his head. "I know it aint exactly pleasant, but th'aint no reason fer all that! 'Ad me scared 'alf t'death ye did."

Tinker chuckled and knelt down beside the Altaria. "It might not have caused _you_ much grief, Tad, but you didn't have to grow a new neck." He placed a paw on Starshine's back. "Can you stand?"

Starshine groaned and rose to his feet, his long white wings flailing as he tried to keep his balance.

Tinker steadied him on his arm. "I think we should probably get you to bed, lad."

"Aye." Tad gave a curt nod. "Ye wobblin' around like th'berry souffle me ma makes."

They turned to leave the room and Tad froze in his tracks. Tinker looked over his shoulder at the crowd of Pokemon that had gathered in the door. They'd been so silent he'd forgotten they were there. The ones at the front fixed him with frowns and solemn shakes of the head while the ones behind peered fearfully over their shoulders.

"Alright, c'mon!" Tad shooed them aside to make a small path for him to lead Tinker through. "I know th'lad's got pretty feathers, aye? Ye can stare 'n' oggle at 'im later."  
They moved through the crowd and were no more than a foot away when a snort cut through the air like fierce claws.

"This is disgusting."

Tinker looked back at the group. A Luxray leered at him while his son – a little Shinx – peered at them over his tail, his little body quivering.

"I'm sorry?" Tinker narrowed his eyes.

"I knew this would happen," the Luxray went on.

"Of course. Evolution is inevitable when you train."

Tinker turned away from him but another voice froze him in his tracks.

"I bet you never even told the boy he'd become a dragon?"

Starshine's body stiffened and he looked back over his shoulder. Tinker followed his gaze. The speaker was a Combusken, standing glaring at them with his arms crossed. The rest of the group became more vocal, their exclamations merging together, but they could pick out the odd one.

"I agree. Disgusting."

"... thing should be exiled!"

"A dragon in New City!"

"He isn't playing with my child anymore."  
Starshine looked up at Tinker, his little black eyes filled with tears. He shook his head sharply and bolted down the corridor.

"Starshine!"

Tinker sped after him, Tad's heavy footsteps resounding behind him. The tunnel opened out into the market, and Tinker spotted the Altaria stumbling through the crowd as Pokemon leapt out of his way and mothers yanked back their hatchlings with yells of surprise and disgust.

Starshine shook his head again and ran down a narrow tunnel towards the nest rooms.

Tinker bolted through the market after him, ignoring the shouts and cries that filled the air. They dulled behind him as he wound down the narrow tunnel. Curious eyes peered out at him from various nest rooms when he finally came to a halt at a fork in the tunnel. Small sobs came from a room on the right and Tinker stepped inside to find Starshine huddled up on a nest of hay. He stared silently down at him for a moment, then the Altaria opened one eye to glance at him before he turned his back on him.

"You knew, didn't you?" he asked.

Tinker nodded. "Of course I did."

"Why didn't you tell me?"  
Tinker crossed his arms and let out a flustered sigh as he leant back against the wall. He unfolded them again to rub his forehead with a paw.

"Truthfully? I was scared."

Starshine made a noise that Tinker wasn't sure was a laugh or a sob. "Scared of me?"

"Scared of the trouble it would cause."

"You're scared I'm going to join them, aren't you?"

Tinker closed his eyes and looked away from him. "I'll admit it crossed my mind before you hatched."

Starshine was silent for a moment, and Tinker stared at his back, anxious as to what the Altaria was thinking.

"I'm not scared of you," Tinker told him.

"Then you could have told me."

Tinker rubbed a paw over his head again. "Would you have evolved if I had?"  
"Of course not." Starshine raised his long neck to look back at him. "Everyone hates me now!"  
"Tad doesn't." He paused. "And neither do I."

Starshine laughed bitterly and curled up once more.

"Look. I _wanted_ you to evolve." Tinker shrugged. "I was hoping you could join the Guild Warriors and fight with us, give us an edge in battle by exploiting the dragon type's weakness – itself. However, Faith told me that you can mega evolve into a dragon that is part fairy type."

Starshine looked back at him again. "Part fairy? You mean I can change form like Faith can?"

Tinker shrugged again. "I've no idea how, and I'll admit I'm not all that fond of Faith, but I can ask her if she comes back here. I'm sure she'll be happy to show you."

Starshine sighed and lay back down, but this time he kept his eyes on Tinker.

"Why did you really take me in?" he asked. "If you knew I'd become a dragon type?"

Tinker sighed again and leant his head back against the wall, looking blankly up at the ceiling.

"You were nothing more than an egg." He paused. "I guess... I wanted to prove to myself that it doesn't matter what type you are. It's something I've struggled with, this division. I needed to convince myself that it's just a type and nothing more. The type doesn't make a Pokemon good or evil."

Tinker bit his lip and stared off at the far wall. It wasn't something he'd ever really admitted to himself, and certainly not out loud. He'd seen too much evidence to prove otherwise.

"I'm not evil," said Starshine. "This place is my home. The Pokemon here are my family."

Tinker smiled at him. "Hopefully they'll come to see you the same way."

Starshine blinked tears back from his eyes and they ran in trails down his blue face. Tinker moved over to him and placed a paw on his back.

"Get some rest, son. I'll be back in a little while."

He stood up and moved over to the door. As he left the room, he spotted Tad and Skipper standing at the fork in the tunnel.

Skipper raised an eyebrow at him and nodded towards the dull sounds of enraged voices. "Take it 'e's evolved then, aye?"

Tad's shoulders slumped as he peered over Tinker's shoulder at the little room. "He aint takin' it very well is 'e?"

"No." Tinker looked warily down the tunnel towards the market place. "Neither is New City."

...

The moors were as silent as the mountains, but this made Cleo even more anxious. Her eyes flitted around as they crossed the uneven ground, back and forth from the trees. The forest canopy was still bare, and the shadows cast over them looked unnervingly like Murkrow perched in the branches. Every time she locked on to them, they turned out to be nothing more than the shadows of the swaying branches.

North... that was the direction they were heading.

A cold breeze washed over them and Cleo hugged herself, rubbing her arms briskly with her paws.

Harlequin glanced up at her. "Nervous?"

Cleo looked at her then nodded as she cast her eyes back to the trees.

"Good." Harlequin faced forward. "I'd be worried if you weren't."

Cleo licked her lips nervously and looked ahead of her. The sun was still high in the sky, no reddening with the sunset. Despite how many times she'd been in this direction, running errands for Tinker or helping out other Pokemon in the surrounding temporary towns, it had never been met with such a feeling of foreboding.

The group edged closer to the trees, keeping a watchful eye on the branches. Cleo had no intention of going into the forest. That would cause them to deviate too far off the path, and she had no desire to drag this out any more than she needed to.

Just like the moors and the mountain, it was silent.

"I think this is where we part ways." Sandpaw's voice was quiet and wavered slightly, but despite this it still sounded oddly loud in the empty moors.

"Already?" Faith stopped to look at her.

"Well, I don't want to take you too far out of your way," said the Furret. She gave them a warm smile. "Thank you so much for your help. I have no idea how we can repay you."

Faith smiled back. "You don't need to. I hope you find the Fairy Garden easily."

Scout reached into a small bag at his side and pulled out a map. "We'll find it. You even marked it for me on here."

"I'm sure you will."

"Faith's right," said Cleo. "But even so, do take care."  
Sandpaw's eyes widened slowly but Scout puffed out his chest.

"Don't worry," he said. "I'll take care of my mum."  
The two Furret waved and moved towards the trees.

Harlequin looked at Scratch and Claw then back at the Furret.

"Wait."

Sandpaw and Scout looked back at her.

"What is it?" Sandpaw asked.

"Take Scratch and Claw."  
The two Pawniard leapt slightly and looked round at Harlequin.

"What?" Scratch asked, rubbing his claws together.

"You want us to go with them?" Claw rubbed the back of his head, the metal making an ear-splitting screech. "But... Harbinger told us to stay with _you_."

"And by now he should be at the Fairy Garden." Harlequin smiled. "Don't worry about me. I'm with Cleo and Faith now."

Spark poked her head out of Cleo's fur. "And Spark."

"And Spark," Harlequin chuckled. "Those two need you more than I do. Go with them, and when you find Harbinger, tell him I'm okay."

The Pawniard twins glanced at each other then smiled.

"All right," said Claw. "We'll go with them."

Scratch nodded and raised a blade in a wave. They moved over to Sandpaw's side.

She looked at them and clasped her paws together, then gave Harlequin a sideways glance.

"You're sure you don't want them to stay with you?"

Harlequin shook her head. "It's not that I don't want them to. It's just I trust they'll look after you."

The Furret gave a small smile. "Okay. If you're sure."

"Woo!" Scout leapt from foot to foot. "Come on boys. Let's be heroes and protect my mum."

The two Pawniard saluted.

Sandpaw chuckled and placed a paw on Scout's back as she steered him into the forest. "Okay. Let's go Scout." She looked back over her shoulder at the small group. "Take care."

"You too!" Faith waved enthusiastically as they watched the Furret and Pawniard move out of sight.

"Okay." Harlequin stood and moved on towards the edge of the moor. "Let's go."

"That was a nice thing you did," said Faith. "I'm sure they'll look after them."

"Me too." Harlequin looked back at Faith. "They looked after me when I needed them."

Mischief's eyes went distant and he stared down at the grass. Cleo looked away from him and focused her attention on their next destination. She didn't know what exactly had gone down in their battle in the Border Woods, and part of her didn't want to know.

She just wanted to focus on her next destination.

Retracing her steps to where this all began.

...

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	61. Unsettling Familiarities

**A/N - Thank you all so much for the awesome reviews, faves and follows! =D It really means a lot that you guys are enjoying this fanfiction!**

**I can't believe we're so close to the end now! This Wednesday, the first one-shot goes up! Keep an eye open =D**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

61 – Unsettling Familiarities

Yurlik clicked his beak together as he perched in a tree, watching the Murkrow flit back and forth across the dark sky. The slinking shapes of Weavile pawed at the earth and clambered up rocks as they scaled the Shadow Mountains.

"Nothing."

Yurlik looked up into the branches at the three Murkrow perched above him. "What do you mean 'nothing'?"

"There's nothing here," one of them told him.

"But it's believed to be in the north," Yurlik growled.

The Murkrow ruffled his feathers and hopped onto a higher branch, the other two following him. "Well it isn't here, boss."

Yurlik sighed and looked back at the searching Pokemon. Not here... then where could this alleged 'cocoon' be?

"It doesn't help we don't know what we're looking for," said the Murkrow.

Yurlik clenched his beak together.

"I mean what does this cocoon even look like?" he went on. "All we know is that bird thing is red and black. So we're looking for something that resembles that. But... what if we're wrong?"

"Shut up!" Yurlik beat his wings, shaking the branches and causing the Murkrow to dart out of them with frightened caws. "We've been told to look for it, now look for it! We'll move on across the mountains to the isle, then work back towards the Border Woods. And we'll keep searching until we find it!"

The Murkrow flapped around in the air, watching him uneasily.

Yurlik grinned. "Unless you want to become roasted dragon chow?"

The Murkrow cawed and turned away from him, darting back to their brethren.

Yurlik settled back into the branches and chuckled. That aught to keep them motivated.

...

Faith was woken from a light slumber. She rubbed a paw across her eyes as she looked at the closed curtain of the blue tent.

Sobbing. That's what had disturbed her sleep.

She looked around at the tent's occupants. Cleo was curled up beside Mischief, and there was no sign of Spark but she could hear the Dedenne's soft snores. She scooted across the ground to the curtain and peered outside. Curled up on the grass with her back to the tent was Harlequin. Her body shook with each sob. The sound almost broke Faith's heart. She shook her head slowly and climbed out of the tent, her feet crunching over the soft grass. Harlequin didn't look up but her sobbing lessened as her ears flicked backwards to focus on the sound.

"It's me," Faith said quietly.

She sat down beside the Zorua and placed a paw on her shoulders, brushing it over her coarse, shaggy fur.

"Did I wake you?" Harlequin croaked.

"I hadn't been asleep long."

Faith looked up at the dark sky. The moon poked out from behind the clouds, and a scattering of stars were visible where they parted. As far as she could tell, it hadn't been long at all since Harlequin had swapped shifts with her. She looked back down at the Zorua.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

Harlequin was silent, facing away from her, but Faith could make out the tears in her eyes glinting in the moonlight.

"Is it Enigma?" she asked.

Harlequin closed her eyes and flinched, her ears drooping slightly as tears streaked over her black fur. She took in a shaky breath and adjusted her paws under her chin.

"Yeh... I was thinking about him," she said.

Faith nodded and looked away from her. "I never really saw you together, but... I can tell you two were close friends."

Harlequin's body shuddered and she retreated into herself. She took in another wobbly breath and made a noise Faith took to be a 'hmm.' She looked back down at the Zorua and inclined her head on one side.

"If you want, you can talk to me about it? It might help."

Harlequin shifted and looked out at the landscape. The grass stretched on into the distance where it was swallowed up by shadows cast by the tough plants and trees that had sprouted up through the rocky ground, cracking the rocks and pushing them up into jagged mounds. Her breath came in shaky, audible bursts and she dug her claws into the ground as her body tensed.

"I miss him," she sobbed. "He was... my only friend."  
Faith looked down at her and ran her paw up and down her back. "Well... I know it's not the same, and you've not known us as long but... we're also your friends." She smiled warmly. "We're here for you."

Harlequin nodded and gave a small laugh. "I know." She paused and glanced up at Faith. "Thank you."

Faith gave her another smile then looked away from her and stared off into the distance. A silence fell over them, interspersed with sniffles from Harlequin. Of course it wasn't the same. None of them could just replace Enigma. Those two had been friends for a long time, and not one of them could just make the pain go away.

"He was always scared of dying."

Faith looked back down at Harlequin. Tears were flowing from her eyes again, but her sobs had come to a stop.

"You'd think... after what he'd been through," Harlequin said, "that he'd be too depressed to keep going. But he just fell to bits. He changed."  
What he'd been through? Faith looked back out at the shadows. She remembered talking to him that night, seeing that pain behind his eyes. _'I'm no hero.' _She closed her eyes and let out a slow breath. What exactly had he been through?

"He became ruthless," Harlequin went on. "Behind that mask was a Pokemon so scared of losing his life he used intimidation as his defence, and it worked. He'd just take lives, sometimes without even being ordered to. Pokemon began to fear him, so much so that they were too scared to even confront him. They'd quake in terror at the mere sound of his bell, and he knew it."

Faith rubbed her arm absently as she stared off into the distance. "What exactly happened to him?"

Harlequin took in a deep breath. "He lost her."

Faith looked down at her sharply, but before any words could leave her mouth, Harlequin spoke again.

"He was in love, and he lost her." Her voice was strained and her breathing became wobbly again as fresh tears trailed down her face. "He might never have spoken about it, but he never let it go." She paused to take in another breath. "He blamed himself."

Faith felt her own eyes well up. It was awful. This war... it was ripping lives apart.

She shook her head slowly. "But it wasn't his fault."

Harlequin gave a small shrug. "I know. I was there."

Faith bit her lip and looked back out at the star-dotted horizon. A mind warped with fear from a broken heart... yet she'd seen him starting to change. She wiped the tears from her eyes and hugged her knees to her chest.

"This... is why I couldn't tell him."

She looked back down at Harlequin. The streaks on her dark fur glittered in the moonlight.

"You couldn't tell him what?" Faith asked. "That you're female?"

Harlequin nodded. "The whole Shadow Lands think I'm male, so I used it to my advantage. Well... she didn't, but he wouldn't believe her. I wanted to tell him, but I couldn't... The thing is, after that awful battle, I was scared to lose him. I already thought I'd lost Harbinger... Seeing him fall to bits like that, it broke my heart. It brought it all back. I didn't want to put either of us through that pain again. Now look at me." She screwed her eyes shut and tears flooded down her face. "I thought I'd wait and tell him when the war's over." She buried her face into her paws and sobbed loudly. "_When the war's over!_"

Faith wrapped her arms around Harlequin's neck and pulled her into her chest. The Zorua's body shook with violent sobs.

"I miss him so much!"

"I know, Harlequin... I'm so sorry."

Faith placed her head on hers and blinked tears back from her eyes. When her vision cleared, she could make out Cleo and Spark peering at them from behind the curtain of the tent. Spark's nose twitched and she wiped a paw across her face.

Cleo pointed to her chest then at Faith and Harlequin.

Faith nodded and pulled back from the Zorua. "Come on. Cleo's offering to take over your shift."

Harlequin sniffed and looked over at the tent. "I... I think I'll be okay. I just..."

"No." Faith placed a paw on her shoulder. "Get some rest."

She nodded reluctantly and paced back to the tent. Faith followed her and passed Cleo in the entrance.

"Thank you," she mouthed to the Meowstic.

Cleo smiled and sat down on the grass.

Faith let the curtain fall behind her and curled up beside Harlequin. She caught Mischief's gaze and he looked away from her and closed his eyes again. Mischief... Cleo... Spark... Harlequin... all lives torn apart by this awful war.

A lump rose in her throat and she closed her eyes, feeling yet more tears streak down her face. This awful war... it needed to end.

...

The small wooden houses and market stalls slowly drew closer to them as the group of Pokemon trudged over the grass, damp with morning dew. Cleo's paws felt cold, and the wind that picked up didn't help matters.

The group chatted amongst themselves, and Harlequin seemed to be feeling better after a good sleep, although Cleo wasn't sure whether or not that was just a facade.

The berry trees they passed by were bare save for tiny green buds that dotted the thin branches. Cleo hoped that the town that drew ever closer to them might have some berries for sale on their markets.

However, her hopes were short lived.

"Argh." Spark slumped forwards on her shoulder. "Just as I feared."

The temporary Outcast town was empty.

The little wooden buildings stood tattered, beaten by the harsh weather of the cold season. The market stalls were scattered with wet, decaying leaves and the Guild headquarters looked as barren as the rest of the town. Not a Pokemon in sight, not even a paw print in the dirt.

"This is where we met."

Cleo looked back at Mischief. His voice sounded oddly loud in the empty streets. He rubbed his paws together as he looked around at the abandoned town.

"You were at that stall." He pointed a paw at a long table. A couple of smaller leaves blew across it in the wind. "I stuffed a rock in your bag hoping you wouldn't notice I'd stolen your coin pouch."

A small smile played at Cleo's lips. "Subtlety wasn't your strong suit."

Mischief let out a pained laugh. "Now look at it."

They all stood silently staring around at the desolate town. The silence was unnerving. Cleo felt at any moment a Weavile might burst out of one of the buildings and rush at them, claws and teeth bared.

"This place was once filled with Pokemon," Mischief continued. "Now it's as quiet as those mountains."

"At least there's no sign of a battle," said Harlequin. "So thankfully it's not met the same fate as that poor town I took you to."

Mischief flinched. "I was really expecting this place to be no different."  
Spark grunted. "To be honest, I was hoping it would be exactly the same as when we left it. Sadly, in this day and age, it's not the case."  
"So this is normal?" Faith asked. "The towns I've been to with you seemed a bit more... stable."  
"The further north you go, the more temporary the towns become," said Cleo. "The general idea is you keep heading south." She wanted to add 'until you reach New City', but the nod Faith gave her showed the Mawile had understood the concept.

"I'm actually wondering," said Spark as they moved on, "if there are actually going to be any Outcast towns further north." She turned to look at Cleo. "I mean... it's been years since we moved away."

Cleo shrugged. "It depends which way they get chased, sadly. Or... how clingy they are to the area."

Spark sighed. "But it pays to have sentiments."

Cleo gave a bitter nod. Of course it did. No one wanted to leave their homes. Even she'd had a hard time giving up her home in the Sparkling Forest, and Spark even more so. Spark had shocked her, bit her, scratched her, all in an attempt to get back to her family. Yet to stay there would have meant certain death. It hadn't taken Cleo long to console Spark and help her to see that their families would have wanted them to be safe, but despite that both of them had yearned to go back.

The one time they had, the forest had been reduced to nothing more than a burnt and barren wasteland with trees so black and dead they creaked in the wind, still blowing small clouds of ash into the air from their branches. Not even the Murkrow dared perch on them.

Tinker had told them it had been renamed the Forest of Ashes.

The little low wall stood before them and Cleo gave one glance back at the empty town. A wave of nostalgia flowed through her chest and her eyes stung as tears filled them.

The place they'd met... where all this had begun.

Seeing the town like this made it feel like so long ago, yet it had been little over a season.

Nostalgia... sentimentality... she needed to put it all behind her. She tore her eyes from it and hopped over the low wall.

...

_It was the soft sound of gurgling water tricking over rocks, cutting through the silence, freezing cold. All he could see was blackness._

_Blackness._

_Freezing cold blackness._

_And then... a small burst of light spreading out across it and chasing it all away into unseen corners. A dazzling array of rainbow colours dotting the bright sky like magnificent stars._

_He blinked his eyes a few times until the image cleared and looming over him was a large, stag-like Pokemon. His nose was pressed to his chest and when he looked up, he smiled warmly and took a step back. Tiny flowers sprouted up through the snow, leaving a trail wherever the stag Pokemon stood._

_He recognised that Pokemon... he'd seen him in a book... Xerneas._

_He must have said his name out loud because the stag Pokemon smiled even wider._

_"__Welcome back, Enigma."  
Enigma sat up, the water from the brook splashing onto the snowy banks. He placed a paw on his chest and looked down at himself. Not a single blemish marred his smoky-grey fur._

_"__You..." He shook his head in disbelief. "You saved me?"_

_Xerneas gave a small nod._

_"__But why?" Enigma stood up but he didn't take his eyes off the stag Pokemon._

_"__You said you work for me," Xerneas explained. "And you meant it."  
Enigma stood in the snow and looked away from the stag Pokemon. He closed his eyes and flinched as a flood of memories came back to him._

_"__But... I've done some awful things."_

_Xerneas was silent and Enigma thought for a brief moment that he'd gone._

_"__Do you regret them?"_

_He looked back at Xerneas, his eyes wide. He nodded. "Yes... I do."_

_"__Then come with me."  
Xerneas turned from him and led him over the snow, leaving behind a trail of colourful flowers._

...

Enigma rolled the mega stone around in his claws as he sat back in the branches of a tree looking out over the Howling Valley. That memory was still fresh in his mind, even after a whole season of training in the Fairy Garden.

It had taken him a while to realise that after Xerneas had revived him, not only had he healed his wounds and broken ribs, but he'd also cleared the Pokerus away. It had astounded him. After worrying about a cure, there it was all along.

He looked back over his shoulder at the expanse of trees, then placed the stone back inside the brooch on his scarf and folded his paws behind his head.

"How long do you think we've got to wait here?" he asked.

Harbinger looked up at him from the base of the tree. "Until they arrive."

"It feels like we've been here for days."

"They'll be here. Have a little patience."

Enigma chuckled then covered his mouth in a yawn. "I've never liked waiting around."  
"Well, if you leave now you'll blow it all." Harbinger looked down into the valley and narrowed his eyes. "We can't take that lot on by ourselves. So we wait."

Enigma followed his gaze to a series of little wooden huts. The wind was starting to pick up, and a low howl moaned through the trees far below them.

"Do you think they'll notice us?" he asked.

"Not if we stay quiet," said Harbinger bluntly.

"All right." Enigma yawned again and shifted against the trunk. "I might try and grab a little nap."

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	62. Into the Howling Winds

**A/N - Just a heads up that the first one-shot has been uploaded =D just in case anyone hasn't seen it yet!**

**I also went through this trying to correct an embarrassing use of the word 'plane' to 'plain'. I'm hoping I caught them all.**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

62 – Into the Howling Winds

Cleo fired another disarming voice into the trees, and the remaining Murkrow scattered into the dark sky, flapping their wings and cawing loudly as they vanished into the night.

"It's a lot rougher around here now," said Spark.

The little Dedenne hopped back onto Cleo's shoulder and the Meowstic gave one last look around the canopy before moving out into the open. The land before them stretched out into a rocky plain, tough tufts of various weeds poking up from the irregular ground amidst softer, greener grass. The mountains in the distance were connected to the Silent Mountains, only these were much less silent, and much closer to the Shadow Lands. The sky was tinted red above them as the sun finished setting.

"We're getting closer." Harlequin's voice was barely a whisper.

Cleo looked down at her then back out at the mountains. "Yes. We are."

Mischief's breathing was audible in her ear as he moved closer to her, keeping his orange eyes on the mountains. His paws were raised slightly and he gave her a quick glance.

"I think we should camp."

Cleo shook her head. "I want to keep moving. I'm not comfortable around here."  
"Mischief's right," said Faith. "It's dark. If we keep moving, we're exposed."

"And if we camp we're sitting Duckletts." Cleo narrowed her eyes at the Mawile.

Faith shifted under her glare and glanced away.

"Look, Cleo..." Spark huddled into her fur. "I know this place brings back bad memories. It does with me too. But we really shouldn't expose ourselves."

Faith and Harlequin stared at the two Pokemon and Cleo averted her gaze to stare blankly at the trees to her right.

"Wait..." Harlequin pointed a paw at the mountains. "The Forest of Ashes is on the _other_ side of the valley."  
"Yes, and the valley cuts through the middle of the Rocky Plains." Cleo adjusted her satchel and took a few steps forward. "I want to put them behind me."

Faith and Harlequin sat staring at her but Mischief had no choice but to follow her. She looked from his uneasy expression to Faith and Harlequin's bewildered ones. She clenched and unclenched her fists as she looked away from them, back out at the mountains. Two seasons ago she would have told them they could either stay on their own or come with her, but that thought made her feel sick now. She couldn't just leave them, they were her friends.

With a sigh, she pulled out the tent. "Fine. We'll camp here."

"I'm sorry, Cleo." Faith cupped her paws together and shook her head sadly. "I know you don't like it, but we can't put ourselves in danger."

Cleo nodded. "I know." She paused and looked out at the rugged landscape. The entire place unsettled her. There was very little chance she'd sleep. "I'll keep watch."

Once everyone was tucked away inside the tent, Cleo sat in the entrance looking out at the mountains. The Rocky Plains were cast in shadow, lit up only by the moon and stars, which vanished periodically behind heavy clouds. The mountains were barely visible against the dark sky. She could only make them out because she knew they were there.

And on the other side... her former home. Burnt, destroyed, reduced to nothing but a skeleton in a blanket of ash.

The image of a little Espurr racing across the rocky ground while clutching a crying Dedenne flashed into her mind and she had to blink and shake her head to send it away.

Flashbacks. Something she'd been dealing with whenever she stepped paw in this place. That's why she normally went around them, going east or west, rarely north.

She'd raced across those plains, skirting around the edge of the Winding Woods where they were attacked by Murkrow. Spark had leapt from her grasp and tried to run, but seeing the wicked birds rake at Cleo with their talons, the tiny Dedenne exploded with rage. Lightning fired in all directions, causing the Murkrow's bodies to lock up and drop to the ground. That's when they rounded on Spark. Cleo did all she could, but Spark was beaten and bashed around before the Murkrow finally gave up and fled, their numbers decreased and electricity bouncing across their oily feathers. Neither of them were fit to continue. Cleo had been scratched to ribbons and Spark was bruised and battered. Regardless, she'd kept running. She just ran blindly towards the Moorlands Forest, cutting through a rickety little Outcast Town where she screamed for help. And there... that's where she'd met Tinker.

The Riolu wasn't much older than her, so he himself was only a child at the time.

He was also alone.

Once their wounds were treated, he'd invited them to come back with him to New City where they were trained up to be strong enough to defend themselves and help other Pokemon in similar situations.

Cleo felt a nudge at her leg and she looked down at Spark. She huddled up to Cleo and looked up at her.

"Can't sleep?" Cleo asked.

Spark shook her head and looked back out at the mountains. "I can't leave you out here to deal with all those memories by yourself."

Cleo blinked tears back from her eyes and placed a paw on Spark's back.

Spark looked up at her again and patted her arm. "We'll deal with it together."

...

The meeting hall was filled to bursting with Pokemon, many of who were ranting in raised voices or shouting to be heard over the din, only adding to the chaos. Tinker's head was starting to throb, but he stood observing the crowd as several angry Pokemon at the front raised their fists at him.

"This is an outrage!"

"We want it out of here!"

"My child says he attacked him!"

Tinker shook his head and raised his paws for silence, but it failed. Of course it failed, just like it had the first time he'd tried it.

"I've told you, he's not dangerous! And I can assure you he's not attacked anyone!"

"Assure us, he says!"

"Are you calling my son a liar?!"

Tinker grit his teeth and rubbed his temples with his paws, letting a low groan escape his mouth.

"He's conspiring against us!" a female voice screeched. "He's brought a dragon in here to kill us all off!"

"He's a Heretic!"

The entire crowd was now filled with shouting as the Pokemon fired accusations at the Riolu.

Tinker's heart sank as he stared helplessly out at the crowd. A Heretic? They were accusing him of being a Heretic now?  
A heavy paw fell onto his shoulder and he looked up into the wizened eyes of Grey.

"Go." The Alakazam spoke softly, but Tinker could still hear him over the din. "Take the boy. I'll send message to you when everything has calmed down."  
"You... you trust him?" Tinker couldn't help raising an eyebrow.

Grey nodded and gave him a half-smile. "Of course I do." He looked back out at the angry crowd. "A friend of mine gave his life to save mine. He was part dark type."

Tinker's jaw dropped. "But... I thought you hated the Darkness."  
"I do. But it's not the Pokemon that makes the Darkness. It's what drives them."

Tinker followed the Alakazam's gaze back into the crowd. "What drives them...?"

"You know what I see when I look into their minds?" Grey looked back down at him. "Fear."

Tinker blinked and opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He was at a loss for words. He looked from the crowd to Grey and back.

"Fear drives them. Fear of losing their own lives. But not every dark Pokemon reacts the same way. Some have given up on the Darkness entirely and live outside the walls."

Tinker flexed his paws as he felt the Alakazam's eyes on him.

"Take Starshine to them. The Outcasts won't welcome you, but they might."  
"Take him to the Border Woods?" He wanted to add 'are you insane?!' but as he flashed his canines he received a warm smile in return.

"That's where Cleo and Faith are heading. Maybe they can help you?"

Tinker felt his fur bristle at the Mawile's name but he took a deep breath and let it settle back in place. Grey was right. There was no place for Starshine amongst the Outcasts, and so long as he stayed with the Altaria, there was no place for him either. If anyone could help them, it would be Faith. She'd told him Altaria can become part fairy type. If Starshine could help them fight against the Darkness, and show his loyalty to the Outcasts, then maybe he might be accepted back here.

Tinker gave a curt nod. "Okay. I'll take him with me."  
The din in the meeting room almost drowned out his voice, but Grey's warm smile showed he'd heard him.

"I'll take Starshine out of New City!" Tinker barked into the crowd.

The noise ebbed for a moment as the Pokemon took this in. But it was only for a short while, as the voices rose again. Some with cheers, but many with roars as they threw yet more jibes and accusations at Tinker.

Grey placed his paw on his shoulder again and the room warped around him, the voices distorting and echoing as they faded into a dull drone. The scenery twisted again and he found himself standing with Grey in the nest tunnels.

Three hatchlings ran past him – a Pichu and two Lillipup – all of them drenched to the bone with water dripping off their fur. Heavy breathing followed the stamping of feet as Tad raced down the tunnel, his eyes narrowed into slits.

"Li'l punks!" He clenched his paw into a fist but his expression softened when he saw Tinker and Grey. "Oh! Uncle Tinker." He inclined his head on one side. "Och, ye don' be lookin' so good. Oh boy. Ye not gonna be likin' what I'm about t'show ye, sure enough."

Tinker's heart felt like lead. He followed the Marshstomp down the tunnel, and to the untrained eye it would usually be difficult to spot which nest room belonged to Starshine. However, the entranceway was marred with paint exclaiming various expletives and insults. One was painted in large red letters above the entrance – 'Go home, filth!'

Tinker clenched his teeth together and blinked back tears from his eyes. Starshine was huddled up on his nest, his blue face streaked with tears. Tad sat beside him with a paw on his back.

"Starshine?"

The Altaria looked up at Tinker and his eyes widened when he saw Grey standing behind him.

"We're going to take a little trip," Tinker explained.

"A trip?" Starshine's voice cracked.

"Yes. A little journey to find Cleo. We're... going to help her."

"But..." Starshine pushed himself up so he was sitting. "But I'm not ready... am I?"

"Aye, Tinker, 'e's still a kid. We're both still kids."

Tinker cleared his throat and looked away from them. He could feel Grey's eyes burning into his back.

"Truth is, Starshine... neither of us are welcome here. We need to leave."

Starshine choked back a sob. "I know."

"So... we're going to join friends. Cleo, Spark, Faith..."

Starshine looked away from him and took in a shuddering breath. "If I learn to mega evolve... they might accept me."

"Then that's what we're going to do." Tinker held out his paw. "Come on, Starshine. Let's leave now."

"I'm gonna come too, aye?" Tad leapt to his feet.

"No."

The Marshstomp stared back at him, his eyes impossibly wide.

"But... but 'e's my friend. I ain't abandonin' 'im!"

"And that's noble of you. Maybe you can help convince the others to see what you see. You, Skipper, Lily and Grey all know Starshine is no threat to them."

"But... Tinker, I..." Tad looked from Tinker to Grey and stamped his foot. "Fine. I'll stay 'ere."  
Starshine rose to his feet and looked down at the Marshstomp. "Thank you for being my friend, Tad."

"Sure!" Tad whisked a paw across his eyes. "If ye see Scout, tell 'im hi from me, aye?"

Starshine nodded. "Of course. Please say goodbye to Uncle Skipper and Aunt Lily for me?"

Tinker watched the exchange between the two children, a lump rising in his throat. Not only was Starshine being forced to leave New City, Tad had now lost his two closest friends. How would the other children treat him knowing he was friends with an Altaria?

He looked up at Grey. "Please look after Tad and his family."

The Alakazam gave a nod.

Starshine joined his side, and with one last look back at Tad, the tunnels warped around them and the last thing Tinker saw was Tad's sad face as he stood waving in Starshine's empty room.

...

With the Rocky Plains behind them now, the ground rose up slightly before forming a dramatic steep drop to a dried up river below. The trees below them bent at odd angles, their roots pulling up the earth and their branches broken and warped. The wind picked up, howling through the valley and stirring the leaves of the trees, the branches swaying as the wind whipped through them before dying down as quickly as it had started.

"Howling Valley," said Cleo. "Also known as the Valley of Hurricanes."

Faith stared down into the valley and rubbed her chin with her paw. "It's a gigantic wind trap. That's why the winds are so much stronger there."  
Cleo nodded. "Yes. It's not a safe place to be."

"There used to be a bridge across here," said Spark. "That's how we crossed it years ago."  
The five Pokemon looked up and down the valley, but there was no bridge in sight.

"It was so long ago, I don't even know where to start looking." Cleo ran a paw across her forehead and backed away from the valley. "I guess we keep marching up and down it until we find it."

"Or until it falls dark again," said Spark. "And I really don't want another night out here on these plains."

Harlequin looked up at her. "Would you rather camp in the valley?"

Spark twitched her nose at the Zorua. "No. I have no intention of going down there at all."

"We might have to." Harlequin shrugged and stared across at the other side. "There's every possibility the bridge is gone. It was in pretty bad shape when I crossed it."

"That's right." Cleo stared at her. "You had to cross this valley to get here."

"Yeh. And like you, I have no intention of going down there either. However, if we have to in order to get across, then we have to."  
"Do you remember where the bridge is?" Faith asked.

Harlequin looked up and down the valley again, her mouth slightly ajar as a look of uncertainty crossed her face.

"No... I don't."

"Seriously?" Spark crossed her arms. "I thought you had a great sense of direction?"  
"I have a great sense of _smell_. That's how I track other Pokemon." Harlequin looked back over her shoulder at the plains and let out a deep breath. "I think... it was this way."

She stood up and moved past them, following the valley as it wound through the mountains. The land was flat enough to walk on, and the group of them followed the Zorua until the sun vanished behind the mountains in the west.

A long groan came from Harlequin and she fell to her bottom, her eyes locked on the dip into the valley. Cleo followed her gaze and Spark mimicked Harlequin's groan and slumped into Cleo's fur.

The bridge had collapsed, its long ropes trailing down into the valley on their side.

"The upside is," said Faith, "we can shimmy down the ropes."  
Harlequin looked up at her. "That's easy enough for you, but I'm not great with ropes." She indicated her forepaws.

"Oh." Faith nodded sadly. "That's a good point."

"There might be good foot holds." Harlequin peered down at the mountain slope. "But if that wind picks up while we're climbing down, we'll be whisked away."  
Cleo moved over to the rope. "Then let's do it before it picks up."  
"How?" Spark exclaimed. "We don't know when it-"

The wind howled below them, whipping up leaves from the trees. The long rope swayed violently, the end of it snatched up in the hurricane. It settled again, the rope moving from side to side against the sharp rocks.

"I'm not happy about this," said Harlequin.

Mischief moved past her and grabbed hold of the rope. "Then I'll go first."  
"Are you serious?" Harlequin gasped.

"You can't do that!" Spark growled. "You're chained to Cleo! She'll have to go with you!"

Mischief looked from Cleo to Spark. "We want to get across this valley right? And this is the only way."

"But-"  
"At least if I go first, if I fall I won't be dragging Cleo down with me."

"No." Spark narrowed her eyes. "You'll just be hangin' by your neck."

"I'm sure Cleo will pull me back up. Right?" Mischief looked down at the long drop. "We have no choice."  
He clutched the rope and threw himself over the edge, pressing his feet up against the wall as he lowered himself down.

Cleo felt a tug at the bracelet as he tried to descend further. He was right. They had no choice.

She grabbed the rope and copied Mischief, lowering herself down to the ground.

"Wait until we're at the bottom," she called up to Faith. "In case it doesn't hold."

The Mawile nodded and placed a paw on Harlequin's shoulder, watching anxiously as the two Pokemon shimmied down the long rope.

"This is bonkers," said Spark from Cleo's shoulder. "There might be another bridge somewhere."  
"Well, it's either this." Cleo paused to catch her breath. "Or camp in the Rocky Plains again."

Spark grunted. "Bit late now. We're almost there."

Cleo made that critical error of looking down. The ground below her span, and Mischief's form doubled and tripled as her eyes unfocused. She snatched her head round to look at the wall and clutched onto the rope tightly.

"Cleo?" Spark's voice sounded distorted. "Are you all right?"

Cleo tried to speak but her mouth had gone dry. Faith's voice above them called down to her but she couldn't make it out.

"Cleo!" Spark snapped. "Pull yourself together!"

The world slowly stopped spinning and Cleo could hear someone breathing heavily close by her. As the wall came back into focus, she realised it was her own breathing. She took in a steadying breath and nodded.

"I think I'm okay."

"Good." Spark let out a sigh of relief. "You had me worried sick there!"

Cleo gave herself a quick mental shake and kicked back from the wall, lowering herself further down the rope. The tension on her wrist lessened as she drew closer to Mischief. She heard him shuffling down the wall below her then a light thud as his feet hit solid ground. She followed him down and looked back up at the dizzyingly high slope.

Faith shouted something to them, but her voice faded before it reached their ears. Cleo could make out Harlequin as she grabbed onto the rope, followed by Faith. The Zorua seemed to have a lot of difficulty and as Cleo squinted to make them out, she could see she had hold of the rope in her jaws. Faith had wrapped part of the rope around Harlequin's waist and it moved over her body as she struggled her way towards them.

Cleo shook her head sadly. If her abilities worked on Harlequin, she could help her down towards them. Right now, she felt helpless as she watched the poor Pokemon awkwardly scramble down the rope.

The wind rose sharply, whipping through Cleo's fur.

She looked back up at Faith and Harlequin. "Guys! You don't have long!"

As the wind intensified, she jerked her head around left and right until she spotted a low branch from one of the warped trees.

"Grab that!" she commanded Mischief.

The Whimsicott leapt over to the tree and grabbed hold of the stiff branch. Cleo latched on beside him.

"Spark!" Cleo strained to see the Dedenne out of the corner of her eye. "You need to grab this branch!"

A mournful howl blared through the valley as the wind lashed at her fur and whipped up wisps of Mischief's cream coloured fur. She screwed her eyes shut tight and wrapped her arms around the tree's branch. She felt Spark clutch onto her fur and a painful stab shot through her shoulder as her fur was torn free, followed by a scream that quickly faded into the howling wind.

Cleo looked back over her shoulder, her heart leaping into her throat.

"Spark!"

The wind died down as quickly as it had started. Cleo let go of the branch and searched the trees with her eyes. Her heart was pounding in her chest.

"What happened?" Faith cried out.

Cleo looked back at her. The Mawile was still clutching the rope, swaying gently as Harlequin tried to untangle herself from it.

"It's Spark!" said Cleo. "She got caught in the wind!"

Mischief shot to her side and stared helplessly into the valley.

Harlequin dropped from the rope and landed roughly on her back with a grunt. She flipped herself onto her feet and darted over to Cleo.

"Don't worry," she said as she skipped towards the trees. "I'll find her."

Faith placed a paw on Cleo's shoulder. "She'll be all right, Cleo, I'm sure. Come on."

The Mawile trotted after Harlequin, urging Cleo to follow them. Spark... where was she? Cleo swallowed drily. Her shoulder felt oddly bare. She sprinted after them, half-dragging Mischief behind her.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	63. Caught in a Sandstorm

**A/N - So close to the end now! Yet there's a lot to come in these final chapters!**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

63 – Caught in a Sandstorm

Houses and empty roads formed around Tinker and Starshine, and when they came clearly into view, Tinker realised where he was.

He blinked a few times as he took it in. Empty, desolate, abandoned.

"This is the safest place I could teleport you."

He looked round at Grey. The Alakazam gave him a warm smile then looked out at the empty town.

"If I took you any further, we'd risk appearing amongst an army of dark Pokemon, and I doubt they'd have greeted us warmly."

"No." Tinker nodded. "I understand. We can move on from here. Thank you, Grey." He gave the Alakazam a smile.

Grey smiled back and looked down at Starshine. "I know you'll look after each other. Take care. These are hard times."

Starshine nodded and blinked back tears from his eyes. His blue fur was still damp from crying.

"Thank you," he choked out.

"You don't need to thank me, Starshine." Grey gave them a wave. "Hopefully we'll see each other again."

Before they could answer, he vanished with a 'whoosh' before their eyes.

Tinker cleared his throat and looked around again. "Well. This town is quieter than I remember it."  
"You've been here?" Starshine's voice was still husky.

He followed Tinker across the dry, dusty streets towards the old Guild Headquarters.

"I've been here a couple of times. I knew they'd moved on, but I've never been in an empty town like this." He scratched his ear and glanced around at the shadows the sun cast upon the walls. "It's rather surreal."

Starshine ducked beside him and followed Tinker's gaze to the spot between the Guild and a rickety little building. His nervousness was to be expected. He'd grown up in the bustle of New City, surrounded by other Pokemon. An empty town like this would be a shock to his system.

Tinker hopped up the stairs to the door and reached for his bag... and his heart sank. He didn't have it. There'd been no time to grab it.

No bag. No Guild badge. No supplies.

"What's wrong?" Starshine asked.

"I just need to check my old office."

He pushed the door open with a creak and strode down the empty corridor, keeping his eye open for any unexpected movement. His footsteps sounded oddly loud, seeming to echo off the bare walls.

His office was as he'd left it. Any important paperwork had been taken back with him, but hopefully he'd left something here that they'd find use for. A bag, a tent, even an old sheet would be useful.

As he searched the room, his heart sank even further. There was nothing. If the Outcasts had checked over the Guild Headquarters before they left, there was every chance they'd taken anything of use.

The last resort was to check the little room at the back of his office. The one marked 'Keep Out'. The only thing in it was his transporter. Still functional, but useless without the device he wore on his wrist. No other Pokemon would be able to use it. If he wanted to, he could send both himself and Starshine to the next Outcast town.

But any towns from here to the Shadow Lands were few and far between, and there was no saying they were safe, or that they hadn't already destroyed the transporter held in his office.

He gave a sigh of defeat and turned back to the Altaria.

"I'm afraid, Starshine, we'll have to go on without supplies."

"Do we need them?"

He stared into the Altaria's bloodshot eyes. He was being completely serious.

"Of course we need them. But we can get along to an extent. It's a long walk."

He moved past him towards the door.

"Walk? I can fly us there."

Tinker froze. He looked back over his shoulder, his mouth agape. Fly? Starshine was barely the same height as him.

"I haven't had much practice," Starshine explained. "But I'm sure I could carry you."

"Starshine... I'm an adult. I'm full grown and probably heavier than you are. You've got..." Tinker waved a paw up and down at Starshine. "At least another year of growing to do."

Starshine shrugged. "I can at least try."  
Tinker let out a flustered breath and turned away from him to step through the door.

"Come on!" Starshine trotted after him. "Let me be helpful! I'm sure I can get us there. All you have to do is tell me which way to go!"

Tinker paused and looked back at him.

"Please!" Starshine's eyes were wide as he looked up at Tinker. "Let me try to help."  
Tinker stared at him for a moment, then gave a curt nod. "Fine. But if you show any sign of struggling, I'm not going to let you force yourself through it. Understood?"

Starshine nodded quickly. "Yes. Of course."

Tinker led him back down the corridor and out onto the streets. He looked up at the sky and squinted, searching the clouds and rooftops. Not a Murkrow in sight.

That wouldn't be the case for long. As soon as they flew over the Winding Woods, they'd flock up at them like a black, cawing cloud of beaks and talons.

"Are we ready?" Starshine asked.

He looked back at the Altaria. Starshine lowered his head and fluffed up his wings.

Tinker swallowed drily and climbed onto his back. He'd never done this before. He'd always had both paws on the ground. Even when he was being dragged through the dirt by Yurlik's talons, he'd never been lifted off the ground.

He grimaced at the memory and shook his head sharply to bring himself back into the present.

Starshine's tiny black eyes looked back at him, wide with concern. "Are you all right? You've gone pale."  
He gave him a smile. "I'm fine. Let's go."

Starshine nodded and spread his wings. In two strong beats, they were rising up into the air. Tinker's breath was snatched out of him as the Altaria swooped forwards, gradually rising higher and higher towards the clouds.

Those white, fluffy clouds, interspersed with blue sky.

As he looked down at Starshine's long, blue neck and white, cloud-like feathers he realised that Altaria couldn't ask for a better camouflage. Maybe their journey wouldn't be too treacherous after all.

...

Another gust of wind knocked Spark off her feet and sent her rolling back into the trunk of a slanted tree. She was blown up it until she managed to grab hold of one of its spindly twigs. When the wind finally died down, she grumbled under her breath and hopped back down it towards the ground.

"This is getting ridiculous," she mumbled. "I'll never find Cleo again at this rate."  
"Need a paw?"

She looked back slowly into a grinning face set into a long muzzle. A Krokorok.

She gulped. Part ground... part dark. Her electrical attacks wouldn't work, but that fairy one certainly might.

She shook her head sharply. "Nope. No thanks. I think I can-"

The wind blew through her again and sent her rolling right back up that tree. The Krokorok laughed wildly and Spark found herself wondering how on earth he hadn't blown away. It finally dropped again and she rolled back down the tree to the ground with a grunt.

"Tiny rat's having trouble, huh?"  
"Tiny _rat_?!" Her whiskers sparked wildly and singed the leaves on the branches arcing above her head. "Why, I'll have you-"  
With one flick of his foot, a stream of mud struck her in the face and she was sent rolling backwards away from him. The electricity on her whiskers was stifled and she stood up and rubbed at her cheeks, trying to spark them back up again.

The Krokorok's gritty laughter sawed through the air and he doubled over with his paw clasped into his stomach.

"Ahh! I've not had this much fun in a fight in ages! You're so tiny! So tiny it's hilarious!"

Spark's whiskers flared into action again but she was soon struck with another stream of dirt.

"What's funnier is... you think you're so _big_!" He fell onto his back and kicked his legs in the air.

Spark lashed her tail on the ground. "What's funny is you're not aware I don't only use electric attacks!"

She threw herself at him, but he stood up and opened his jaws wide. Her heart hit her throat mid-jump. She was heading straight for them!  
A flash of pink and purple shot through the air, sparkling as it struck the Krokorok and knocked him off his feet. He rolled into the sloping wall of the valley, his eyes spinning.

Someone chuckled behind her.

"Well."

Spark yelped as she was hoisted from the ground by her tail.

"I don't think that would have gone down very well, do you?"

She flailed her arms and looked up at her assailant. The two red eyes of a Banette stared at the dazed Krokorok, his mouth twisted into a somewhat amused, sceptical expression.

"Enigma?!" she screeched. "You're _alive_?!"

He grinned at her. "I think we need to get you out of here. There's more of them on the way."  
"There's another wind on its way as well."  
Spark twisted to look behind Enigma. An Absol stood with his head on one side, his eyes distant as he focused his hearing on the wind.

"Grab onto a tree," the Absol told him. "After it's over, get her back to Cleo fast."

"All right!" Enigma grabbed onto the tree and flicked Spark into his free paw clutching her firmly.

"Do you mind!" She growled and flashed her teeth at him.

Enigma chuckled. "Do you want to blow away again?"

The wind swept over them, drowning out Spark's voice with it's mournful howls. It only lasted a moment. No sooner had it ebbed, Spark found herself flicked rather indignantly by the tail in the opposite direction of the wind.

She screamed furiously, but before she could even head towards the floor, she was caught in Enigma's paws.

"What are you doing?!"  
"I'm sorry." He flicked her ahead of him again. "I can't warp you with me."  
Spark roared. "Once we're back with Cleo, I'm going to shock you so hard!"

He chuckled as he caught her again, and popped her into his scarf before breaking into a sprint. "It might have to wait until the battle's over, I'm afraid."

...

Cleo braced herself against a fallen tree, struggling to see through the dust that whisked across her vision. Their attackers were still out there, engulfed in those howling winds. She could feel Mischief at her side as the branch he clutched onto swayed under his weight, his white fur joining the dust as it blew across the valley. When the wind cleared, the army of Krokorok, Sandslash and Fraxure came into view, and looming over them, fixing the small group of Outcasts with a leer, was a Haxorus.

All of them wore the Heretic symbol on their shoulder. And for some reason, the wind didn't phase them. All of them were stood in the same spots they'd been in before the wind hit, and it had been that way throughout the battle.

Two of the Krokorok and three of the Fraxure were unconscious. Getting any hits in at all had been a challenge. The Sandslash had whipped up a sandstorm as soon as the battle started, and had been near impossible to hit. Unfortunately for the dragons, this had been a hindrance to them. They didn't fare well in the sandstorm.

Faith stood a couple of feet away from Cleo beside the splintered stump of the fallen tree. She'd taken on her mega form, and one of her horns had been digging into the stump to stop her from being blown away. She released it and spun her two horns round into the group of Heretics, aiming for the Haxorus. He raised his arms and blocked her attack, allowing two of the Fraxure to burrow into the ground and leap out beneath her, knocking her off her feet.

She let out a yell as she was sent rolling backwards, bouncing into the fallen tree and causing the stray branches to sway across Cleo's already obscured vision.

The motion from the branches disturbed the sandstorm. Cleo could just make out some of the dark shapes of their opponents. She fired a disarming voice at the army, her voice surprising them briefly and striking one of the Krokorok. He was sent flying into one of the Sandslash, crushing him beneath his body. The Sandslash threw a series of expletives and dragged himself free from beneath the dazed Krokorok.

The distraction was enough for Mischief and Harlequin to fire their own attacks, and the air flashed with pink and purple light. Each attack missed the Sandslash but struck another of the Fraxure and two of the Krokorok.

Then the wind hit.

Dust from the sandstorm blew along with it, completely obscuring their view. Cleo shielded her eyes but it was no use. She couldn't just fire blind attacks into the storm.

As it lessened off, she began to make out the forms of the enemy Pokemon. They were all crouching closer to the ground, and as the sand cleared enough, she found they were all digging their claws into the earth, keeping their bodies as low as possible so the wind blew over them without lifting them into the air. They rose up quickly and Cleo found a dark pulse fired straight at her.

"Get back!" Mischief threw himself in front of her and took the attack to his chest. He flinched then narrowed his eyes at the Krokorok that fired it.

With a flick of his paws, another flash of purple and pink sparkled across the crowd. It hit the Krokorok along with two Fraxure side on, knocking them to the ground. The Heretics took a step back and looked around frantically, their eyes wide and their voices melding together. Mischief looked down at his paws in surprise then followed the Heretic's gaze upwind.

Cleo blinked at him then looked back at the army. That attack had come from the wrong direction... it wasn't from Mischief at all.

A wisp of flames flew into the Heretics, catching the Haxorus on his left shoulder. He howled and looked down at it, his face twisting into a sneer. More flames flew at them, catching several of the Sandslash and Krokorok and one of the remaining Fraxure.

A streak of white landed amongst them and latched onto one of the Fraxure. An Absol. But something was different about him. He grabbed the Fraxure in his jaws and shook him wildly before throwing him aside, unconscious. He then rounded on another one, treating it in the exact same way.

Another Pokemon landed amongst them, joining the Mawile's side.

"Hi there, Faith!"

Her eyes widened as she looked up at the Pokemon beside her. "Enigma?"

The Banette chuckled and looked out at the Heretics.

His differences were much more apparent. Zipper markings spread from the top of his head all the way down his front, and his fur expanded out to the sides like a cloak. His feet and paws poked out from amongst it, now a vivid purple. But that jingling bell was the one thing that gave his identity away.

And the Heretics knew it.

All enemy eyes were now locked onto the Banette. Some flexed their claws while others glanced around nervously, backing up behind their comrades.

The Absol leapt to Faith's other side, and Cleo finally noticed that one dramatic change. A pair of white wings sprouted out from his shoulders.

Harlequin stared at the duo transfixed. She shook her head, her mouth hanging open. Giving herself a sharp shake back into reality, she turned her attention back to the Heretics.

"We thought you could use some backup," said Enigma.

The Absol snorted. "Don't get cocky."

Faith laughed. "Your help is welcome!"

Enigma chuckled then fired a dazzling gleam into the group of shaken Heretics.

The wind began to pick up again, and the Sandslash who'd wanted to leap aside had to throw themselves to the ground in order to avoid being swept away. The ones that didn't were struck by his attack or caught in the rising winds.

Cleo pressed herself into the floor like the Heretics and let out a disarming voice. This struck the Haxorus on his nose and he howled, rising up as the wind blew over him. He dug his rear claws into the ground as he struggled against the wind.

"Do what they do!" Cleo shouted. "Hold yourselves to the ground and dig your claws in!"

As it howled over them, Cleo and her friends pressed themselves as close to the ground as they could get. The storm subsided and revealed the Heretics, now drastically diminished in numbers. A chunk of the Sandslash had gone, swept further into the valley. The Haxorus' eyes were narrowed into slits and he opened his mouth in a vicious roar, knocking Cleo off balance. She steadied herself against the toppled tree. Before she could counter attack, Faith rushed at him and struck him in the torso with her horns. He backed away from her, lashing down with his claws but none of his attacks so much as scratched her. His face twisted into confusion and he resorted to gnashing at her with his teeth.

Activity exploded from behind him as the other Pokemon became desperate to get rid of the Outcasts and their strange new allies. The Fraxure rushed at the mega Pokemon, the Sandslash dived in and out of the ground around them, and the Krokorok, unable to get close enough to use their teeth, fired their dark pulses onto Enigma and Cleo, missing their targets as the two Pokemon had to dodge blindly into the fray. The Fraxure began dropping like flies as they were struck with attacks from Enigma and the Absol. They then rounded on the Krokorok, keeping their attention on them and away from Cleo.

Sandslash popped up from the ground beneath them, missing Enigma but catching Faith and the Absol and knocking them off their feet.

The whole battle had blurred into a violent melee. The confusion of attacks threw Cleo, Harlequin and Mischief off, but she shook herself and went to work firing disarming voices into the Heretics. They were moving so fast she couldn't help but worry she might hit the wrong Pokemon. Harlequin and Mischief soon joined her, their own purple flickering attacks striking the remaining dragons.

A stream of dirt exploded from the ground beneath Faith's feet, followed by a Sandslash. The impact knocked her off balance and she fell backwards from the Haxorus as the large spiky Pokemon vanished back into the soil a few feet away from her. The massive dragon laughed triumphantly before lunging at her with his jaws. He lurched forwards and his teeth snapped shut beside her, missing his target. He raised a claw to his head and Spark leapt out of the way, striking him in the neck.

Cleo's heart leapt as she saw the small Dedenne.

She darted about swiftly, lashing at the Haxorus with her paws, feet and tail. He was thrown off balance as he tried to catch her, and with one firm kick to his jaws he toppled over and hit the ground with a hefty thud.

An eerie howl resounded above them, and what was left of the battlers clutched onto the floor. The fallen bodies were swept away onto the wind and Cleo and her group held on as firmly as they could, lowering their bodies to the ground. The merciless wind and sand whipped at their fur, and Cleo found herself worrying about Spark. What if she were to be blown away again?

A tug on her wrist was followed by a frantic scream. Her heart leapt and she tried to turn her head to look at Mischief. His screams became more maniacal and she felt her heart begin to race.

The wind subsided and Mischief fell to the floor. He flipped himself onto his feet and rushed at the remaining Heretics. When he reached the end of his tether, he slipped onto his bottom and roared. The Fraxure and Sandslash backed away from him and fired a chain of insults at the Outcasts before sprinting away into the valley.

Mischief gave chase after them and his feet shot from under him, causing him to land hard on his back. He gave another scream and rushed at Cleo.

Her breath caught in her throat and she ducked, bracing herself for impact. It never came. Instead, she watched as he was bounced away from her and she let out a long, slow breath. That collar... it certainly worked. The rest of the group backed away from her and watched as Mischief threw himself left and right in a desperate bid for freedom.

"What on earth?"

Spark's voice was strangely muffled. Cleo looked down at Faith and caught a small smile from her. The Mawile opened one of her horns and let Spark climb out before returning to her normal form.

"He's gonna hurt himself on that thing!" Spark sent a stream of electricity at him and Mischief's body locked and he fell motionless onto the floor.

Cleo stared down at him, her heart still racing in her chest. Tiny sparks of electricity ran over his fur and vanished into the ground.

"Was that really necessary?" Faith asked.

"It was mercy," said Spark. "I didn't like seeing him like that. Give him a cheri berry. He'll be fine."

"You've always had a strange way of dealing with things, Spark." Cleo looked round at her friend and smiled. "I'm glad to see you're okay!"

Spark laughed. "I'm fine!" She paused and wiped a paw across her nose. "That lot sure put up a fight though, huh?"

"They did," said the Absol. "I think we should move before the wind picks up again."  
Cleo looked over at him. "Erm... I'm guessing you're Harbinger?"

The Absol gave her a smile and nodded. He seemed smaller now without those wings, but he still gave her a sense of unease. She returned his smile, forcing back any memory of the unnerving legends that Absol were bad news. He had just helped them after all.

"Aye. This guy was in the Fairy Garden," said Enigma. His bell cut through her thoughts as he giggled and folded his paws behind his back. "We happened to get paired up together. What are the odds?"

All this time, Harlequin had been staring from Harbinger to Enigma, her mouth hanging open. She shook her head again, tears forming in her eyes. She launched herself towards the Banette and struck him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him and sending him onto his back.

"You idiot!" she screamed. "I thought you were dead!"  
Sobs shook her body and she buried her face into his scarf. He laughed and placed a paw on her back.

"I was. But Xerneas revived me."

"What were you doing?! Why did you go back there?!"

"Hey, Harle, come on. Calm down." He tried to push himself up with one paw, but Harlequin kept her claws entwined in his scarf.

"You were an _idiot_!"  
"I know! But he revived me. I'm here now."  
"That still doesn't justify your actions!" She looked up at him, her face wet with tears.

"I know. I was foolish. But if I didn't go back there, I probably would never have found the Fairy Garden. And I'd likely be almost as bad as him now." He nodded to Mischief.

Harlequin looked over her shoulder at the fallen Whimsicott, along with everyone else. Her eyes seemed to grow larger and bluer and everyone turned their attention back on Enigma.

"It's... gone?" Harlequin asked.

Enigma nodded. "Yes. He got rid of it."  
"But..." Cleo looked back at Mischief. "What about...?"  
"He met him," said Spark. "Why does he still have it?"  
"'Your weakness is your greatest strength'." Faith stared at the far wall. "He didn't mean the Pokerus exactly, did he?" She looked over at Enigma.

He shrugged. "I haven't a clue."  
"It's coming." Harbinger looked up at the sky and everyone followed his gaze. A small whine flowed through the air and the branches of the trees swayed ominously. "Come on. We'll use their tunnels."  
He stood and led them across the valley towards the little huts and soil mounds. Cleo picked up Mischief in a bubble of purple light and followed after the group. Beyond the mounds was an opening into the slope of the mountain. As they entered it, the wind began to pick up behind them. Soon, it was howling through the valley, and they stared back out of the tunnel at as the remains of the sandstorm were whipped up into smoky spirals and whisked away on the wind.

"I didn't know there were tunnels here," said Cleo. She looked over at Harbinger. "Where do they lead?"

"Out. Those Pokemon would have wanted to escape the valley at some point to gather provisions, so they dug these tunnels. If we follow them up, we'll find ourselves out of it soon enough."

"Have you been here before?" Faith asked.

Harbinger nodded. "Several times."

"Maybe we should rest here?" Spark suggested. "Until Mischief regains consciousness at least?"  
"They might come back," said Harbinger. "This is their territory after all."

"Besides." Enigma nodded at the floating Whimsicott. "That looks like fun."

He chuckled and leapt playfully back from Cleo's glare, his bell echoing off the narrow walls.

Harbinger shot Enigma a frown then looked back at Cleo. "How long will that be?"

"I don't know," she said. "It varies."

Harbinger let out a breath through his nose and looked back over his shoulder at the long, dark tunnels.

"Okay fine," he said. "There's a chance we could become trapped in here, but if we stay close enough to the entrance we can at least get back out."  
"Yeh." Spark stared thoughtfully down at the ground then her ears pricked up. "Oh! Before I forget..." She leapt onto Enigma's scarf, causing a small squeak of surprise from him, and nuzzled his cheek, sparks flying from her whiskers and spreading across his body. He gave a sharp yelp and collapsed to the ground. "That," she said as she leapt from his shoulder, "is for throwing me earlier."

"Spark!" Harlequin gasped. She stared at the Banette as static electricity bounced off his fur to vanish into the earth.

"He had it coming," said Harbinger, deadpan. "You don't throw a girl by the tail."

"You certainly don't!" Spark agreed.  
Harlequin closed her eyes and laughed. "Oh, Enigma, you buffoon!"

Enigma's body jerked and he looked up at Spark stiffly.

She flashed him a grin and leapt onto Cleo's bag, pulling a cheri berry from it. She bounded back over to him and held out the red berry in her tiny paws.

"Thanks for helping me, by the way. Other than a few needed lessons in etiquette, you did quite well."

...

**Poor Enigma can't seem to escape electric shocks, can he?**

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	64. Reaching the Borders

**A/N - In case you've not seen it yet, the second one-shot is up. It's going up in two halves because it's quite long, but you may want to check it out anyway =)**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

64 – Reaching the Borders

The sun was setting too quickly for Tinker's liking. The world below them was becoming rapidly darker, and the Border Woods drawing ever nearer, the long, spindly branches of the trees sketched like black lines against a terrible red backdrop. Starshine was growing visibly tired, his beak partially open and his breath forming small puffs of steam in the cool evening air.

"We can rest now," Tinker told him. "Feel free to land."

"But we're not there yet."

"But you're clearly tired, Starshine."  
The Altaria shook his head. "No. Not yet. Not until we reach the woods."

Tinker looked down again at the vanishing plains. To his right was the dark shadow of the Forest of Ashes, quickly moving behind them. It wouldn't be long now until they were above the Border Woods, the largest woodlands in the entire region, spanning for miles until they opened up into the Shadow Lands. They covered swamps, dipped down into valleys, even had their own waterfall. One would enjoy exploring it and meeting the various Pokemon that inhabited it if it weren't for the dangers. Not to mention many of those Pokemon had long since left or been wiped out.

It had been a long time since Tinker had been in the Border Woods. It was a place he'd never wanted to go to again.

And there it was. The edge of the canopy drawing closer to them and spreading out into a shadowy, ominous mass. He could almost hear the wingbeats of the watchful Murkrow, almost hear the screams of their targets.

A chill ran through his body, putting his fur on end. His claws wound into Starshine's white feathers.

The Altaria glanced back at him. "Are you okay, dad?"

Tinker nodded. "I'm fine. Keep going."

Starshine looked down. "I think we can land soon."

The woods spread out below them now. Tinker swallowed drily, his one eye fixed on those threatening branches.

"I wouldn't land just anywhere, son. Look for somewhere safe, quiet..."

Safe and quiet? In this place? He flinched. What was he doing? He'd been hoping to catch up with Cleo, but there'd been no sign of her little group.  
He looked behind him but everything was dark. He couldn't see the mountains anymore. The sun had gone. They were now flying blindly into danger.

His fears were quickly confirmed as a series of loud caws broke through the air and a mass of black, flapping wings rose up towards them. His heart shot into his throat and he grabbed at Starshine's fur, trying to steer him away from the snapping beaks of the Murkrow flock.

Instead of twisting away, Starshine reared back and Tinker had to wrap his arms around the Altaria's slender neck to stop himself from plummeting to the ground. A loud, ear-splitting shriek came from Starshine's mouth, blowing the flock of black birds back down into the treetops.

Tinker's eyes widened. Hyper voice! Where had that come from?

The Murkrow quickly gathered themselves, darting back towards the Altaria. Again, Starshine shrieked and several of the birds plummeted to the ground below. The ones that had broken through his attack were beaten back by his fluffy, white wings, causing him to lose altitude. The Murkrow took advantage of this and darted down from above.

"Hold on!"  
He arched back upwards, and Tinker held on for dear life as he was briefly thrown upside-down until Starshine had the advantage again. Another shriek exploded through the air, blowing the Murkrow back down towards the ground.

But they kept on coming, growing more and more in number. Tinker grit his teeth, his red eyes narrowing. There was just no end to them.

Starshine readied himself for another hyper voice, but it died in his throat as a roar shook the canopy. The Murkrow were thrown off guard, and many of them were caught in the sound waves, losing their balance and dropping from the sky in a flurry of feathers. Their shrill caws warred with the loud roar as it split the air again. Surging through the canopy towards them was a Salamence, his mouth wide open as noise blasted from it, cutting through the Murkrow flock and causing them to drop like rain.

Tinker tugged at Starshine's feathers and the little Altaria swerved away from the Salamence, his beak open as he readied an attack.

Its massive body arced through the air as it rose above the Murkrow, swinging its powerful tail down towards them. Those that were struck by it were sent keeling backwards, crashing into their brethren and falling back into the trees.

The remaining Murkrow doubled back, shooting the group of Pokemon sneers before vanishing into the shadows of the canopy.

The Salamence watched them go then cast a glance at Starshine and Tinker.

"They'll be back, and there'll be more of them. Follow me."

He dipped his wings and dropped towards the trees.

Starshine made to follow him, but Tinker yanked at his feathers, causing the young Pokemon to squeak.

"Wait." He caught Starshine's questioning eye and shook his head. "I don't like this."

Tinker stared after the Salamence, clutching Starshine's feathers tightly. Follow a dragon? This had to be a trap.

The Salamence looked back at them. "Do you want to die? Follow me."  
Starshine lowered his head and swooped after the dragon. Tinker cursed silently. This was madness. Why would a Salamence help them?

The large dragon vanished into the woods. Starshine kept after him, dropping below the canopy. There was little room for his wings and he was forced to land awkwardly, causing Tinker to fall off his back.

Tinker stood in time to see the body of the Salamence crashing through the trees into a clearing. He hesitated for a moment, bouncing on his toes as he warred with the urge to run.

They were here now. Exposed. In the Border Woods.

He cast his eye up into the trees. The branches here were bare. The Murkrow that had attacked them must have come from this area, abandoning it to report back about intruders.

Starshine nudged him.

"Come on. I think we can trust him."

Tinker cast him a sideways glance. "He's a _dragon_."  
"So am I."

Tinker grimaced. As much as he hated to admit it, that Salamence did just save their lives.

He placed a paw on Starshine's back and nodded, following the Salamence's trail into the clearing.

What Tinker saw made his breath catch in his throat.

In the centre of the clearing was a low, dingy building. Its walls had once been white but were now stained yellow with age. Around it lay several Pokemon – a Flygon, Sableye, Drapion and the Salamence.

He took a step back, his eye leaping from each of the staring Pokemon.

"You're all right," the Salamence growled. "We're on your side."  
Tinker narrowed his eyes. "How do you know what side _we're_ on?"

"Easy," said the Salamence. "You ain't a dark or dragon type, are you? And we ain't never seen an Altaria around here."

The Sableye chuckled, sending chills through Tinker's body.

"Are you joining us?" the Salamence asked.

"Yeh!" said the Sableye. "Stand there much longer, you might get snatched through the trees!" He laughed again and Tinker shuddered.

The Flygon nudged the Sableye and frowned. His voice came out as a buzz, almost impossible to pick out his words. The ones Tinker thought he'd heard were 'out' and 'scaring', but whatever it was had pacified the Sableye and his huge grin became more of a sly smile as his laughter came to a stop.

Tinker took a step forwards, glanced back at the trees, then looked over the group of Pokemon again. The Drapion was munching on what may have been the stiff stem of a plant, but with his mind reeling he couldn't help thinking it was a small bone from a helpless Pokemon. The Flygon had curled up, peering at them over the tip of his tail. The Sableye yawned widely and closed his eyes. The Salamence, however, wouldn't take his eyes off them. Tinker's eyes trailed over the large dragon's body and he jolted as he noticed his wing.

A long, jagged scar from a tear that had long since healed.

"Ripwing!"

The words came out as a snarl and the group of dragons jolted. The Drapion leapt to his feet, and a deep buzz reverberated through the clearing as the Flygon's wings beat rapidly into a blur.

Starshine leapt to Tinker's side, his feathers bristling.

"You're here to assassinate him?!" the Drapion growled.

"He's one of Hydreigon's aces!" Tinker roared.

"No he aint!" said the Sableye. "He's not stepped paw into the Shadow Lands in years!"

"What's going on?"  
Tinker's eye was drawn to the building. A Grovyle stood in the doorway and a Vigoroth peered over her shoulder. When his eyes locked onto Tinker, he frowned.

"What's an Outcast doin' 'ere?"

The Sableye pointed a claw at Tinker and looked back at the Vigoroth. "Wantin' to assassinate Ripwing."

The Vigoroth raised his claws and pushed past the Grovyle to reach Tinker. She grabbed him by the tail and pulled him back, causing him to fall onto his bottom with a grunt.

"Wait! This is probably a misunderstanding." She looked at Tinker and Starshine. "What are you _really_ doing here?"

Tinker frowned. "Looking for rebels. Those that have turned their back on the Darkness."

The Vigoroth raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

He laughed and the dragons, Drapion and Sableye joined him.

Tinker felt his muzzle crinkle and he bared his canines. "What's so funny?"

The Vigoroth wiped a claw across his eye. "Outcasts lookin' fer rebels!"

The Flygon's buzzing voice rose into the air and the Sableye laughed hysterically.

"Yer right! It is ironic!"

Starshine looked down at Tinker. "What's going on? Why are they laughing at us?"  
"Why?" Ripwing leant his head on his paw. "Because Outcasts can't stand dragons, boy. Or dark Pokemon. And here are two Outcasts looking for us. Running scared."

"But... you helped us."

"Of course I did." Ripwing shrugged. "Difference is, we aint your enemies. The Outcasts just decided all dragon and dark Pokemon are. The reason we don't leave the Border Woods is because we aren't welcome amongst you."  
Starshine's head drooped. Tinker placed a paw on his back and looked over at the dragon, his expression softening.

"Found yerself in that situation, did ya?" the Vigoroth asked. "Outcasts don't want a dragon livin' with 'em?"

"No," said Tinker. "They don't."

Starshine wiped a wing across his eyes and looked away from them.

Ripwing leant his head on his paw again and fixed his black eyes on Tinker. "Well... let's just say you and your hatchling are among friends now."

...

"These tunnels are like a maze!" Spark crossed her paws and sank down into Harbinger's fur.

"You're not the one walking in them," said Cleo. "So go to sleep if you want."

Spark yawned widely and shook her head. "No. If I do that, my flash will go out. Besides..." She yawned again. "You might need me."

"Then we'll wake you!" Enigma looked back at them from the front of the group, his arms folded behind his head.

"Don't wake a sleeping Spark," she said with a frown.

Enigma chuckled and looked on ahead.

Harbinger sighed. "It's no wonder you get zapped."

Harlequin walked between them, silently. She hadn't said much since they'd joined up with Enigma and Harbinger. Cleo could tell the Zorua had an abundance of questions, but for some reason she hadn't voiced them.

Mischief plodded along just behind Cleo, as equally quiet. Enigma's revelation that he no longer had Pokerus hadn't been relayed to the Whimsicott yet. Cleo didn't know how to break it to him, and neither did Faith. The both of them were a little puzzled as to why it hadn't been removed in the Fairy Garden.

Cleo sighed silently to herself. It was yet another thing they were keeping from Mischief and she hated it.

Harbinger came to a sudden stop and Cleo almost walked into him. Enigma paused just ahead of him and looked back with one eyebrow raised.

"What?"

"I can hear something." Harbinger stood stock still, his red eyes locked on something beyond Spark's light.

The rest of them strained to hear it. Finally the soft patter of feet reached Cleo's ears. It wasn't the Heretics was it? She gulped, glancing back behind them. They'd not returned to their huts in the time they'd been waiting, and it was dark out now. Surely they wouldn't be travelling these tunnels at night?

Harbinger's fur bristled and he lowered his head, not taking his eyes off whatever was approaching them.

The footsteps grew louder, then out of the shadows strolled a Larvitar. His eyes widened when he spotted Harbinger and he took a step back, clutching his bag strap in his claws. He looked from each of them in turn and opened his mouth to speak.

Harbinger's fur relaxed and he lifted his head. "He's not a Heretic."

The Larvitar shook his head. "No... I'm not."

"But he's not an Outcast either," said Spark. "I don't see a badge. And as all Outcasts know, you wear a badge." She closed her eyes and puffed out her chest, tapping her scarf with a paw.

The Larvitar sniffed. "Not all of you are wearing badges."

Spark nodded. "We're a special case."

"That means she forgot," said Cleo. "So who are you?"

The Larvitar looked at her. "I'm a... an outlaw." He paused and backed away when he saw the Absol's glare. "I'm just passing through the tunnels to get to the other side of the valley. I'm not going to attack you. Besides... you're one aren't you?" He gulped and eyed Harbinger warily.

Harbinger stared at him for a while, causing the Larvitar to back further away from him. Finally he nodded.

"Yes." He moved past the Larvitar and the small Pokemon backed up into the wall to let him pass. "It's nice to know some of you actually get out."

"Get out of where?" Spark asked.

Harbinger didn't answer.

"The Border Woods," said Harlequin. She sighed. "It's hard to leave. Especially when Outcasts don't want us around."

Spark folded her arms and looked back at Harlequin. "Well. I like you." She glanced at the Absol. "And Harbinger. Even if he is an Absol."

Harbinger's fur bristled again but he kept his back to them.

Faith chuckled and the Larvitar's eyes instantly went to her.

"I'm sorry about this," Cleo told him. "How do you get out of this tunnel."

He pointed a claw straight ahead of them. "Just keep going. You're almost out."

"Thank you."

Cleo gave him a smile and moved past him. He kept his spiky back against the wall, watching them as they all passed. When they'd moved further away from him, she finally picked up his footsteps fading away through the tunnels.

...

The sun was warm on the Rocky Plains. Cleo busied herself as she packed up the tent, collapsing the wooden tubes together and stuffing them into her bag.

"Eat!" Spark told her.

"I'll eat while we're walking," said Cleo.

"What's her problem?" Enigma asked over a mouthful of dried meat.

"These plains make her uncomfortable," Faith explained.

"Same here," said Spark. "I wanna move on as much as she does, but I can't when I'm hungry."

Cleo finished folding the blue sheet and looked over at the group. Spark was now ushering Mischief to hurry up, but he was warily biting into a berry, not taking his eyes off Harbinger and Enigma. The Banette flashed him a smile then noticed Cleo had finished what she was doing. He looked down at Harlequin who was wordlessly batting her meal back and forth with her paw.

"C'mon, Harle," he said. "Cleo wants to get going."

"What happened?" Harlequin asked.

Enigma seemed taken by surprise. He glanced away from her to exchange looks with Harbinger. Harlequin glanced nervously at the Banette and pushed her berry away.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"What were you doing?" Harlequin explained. "You were in the Border Woods, you got killed. And now we're going back there!" She pushed herself up until she was sitting and stared at him. "Why are you with us now? _What_ is going on?!"

Enigma stared silently at her, blinking as he tried to process it all.

Mischief lowered his berry, keeping his orange eyes on him.

"Harlequin was really upset," he said. "We went into the Border Woods to find some way to stop Hydreigon, and end this war."

Enigma chuckled. "We've been trained and sent to help you stop Hydreigon finding Yveltal. Haven't we, Harbie?" He smacked Harbinger on the back.

The Absol's body jerked and he shot him a glare.

Harlequin narrowed her eyes. "But what were you doing there in the first place?"

Enigma sighed and ran a paw over his face. "Looking for a cure."  
Harlequin continued to stare at him. She finally let out a long breath and looked away.

"And now it's gone," she said.

Mischief looked from Harlequin to Enigma. "What? The Pokerus is gone? How?"

"Xerneas got rid of it. Oh... that reminds me." Enigma tucked his paw into his scarf and pulled out two tiny bracelets. "He gave me these to give to you. Said you might need them."

He handed them to Faith. She looked down at them and inclined her head on one side, rubbing her chin with her free paw.

"Altarianite? I wonder what this is... Oh!" Her eyes shot wide open and she looked up at Cleo. "I think it's for Starshine!"

"Starshine?"

"Yes." Faith fastened the two bracelets around her slender wrist. "With these, he'll be able to mega evolve."

Cleo shifted uneasily and looked back at the Howling Valley. "But... Starshine's back at New City."

"No!" Spark jumped to her feet, abandoning her berries. "No! We're not going back to New City are we? We've come so far!"

Cleo grimaced and looked back down at Spark. The little Dedenne had her paws clasped over her mouth and her large black eyes were impossibly wide. Never say it's name outside its walls... she looked up at the sky and searched the surrounding trees. This close to the Border Woods... what a foolish mistake. She couldn't see any Murkrow, but they needed to be careful.

"Are you all right?" Harlequin asked.

She looked over at the Zorua and gave her a small nod. Her paw was clasped tightly over her bag strap. She looked away from her and turned her eyes towards the trees on the horizon.

Border Woods.

They were nearly there.

"Why?"

She looked back at Mischief. He stared down at his paws, glancing occasionally to Enigma.

"Why do I still have it?"  
Faith smiled and reached across to pat his shoulder. "That's what we're trying to find out."  
"He said my weakness is my greatest strength! But all it does is make me hurt my friends! And now I have to wear this!" He lifted his fur to reveal the collar. He looked over at Enigma and narrowed his eyes. "If Pokerus is my greatest strength, then how come you don't have it any more?"

Enigma's mouth opened but no words came out. He closed it again and looked away from Mischief, fumbling with the hem of his scarf.

None of them knew.

Cleo had racked her brain trying to work this out while staring at Mischief's unconscious body the night before. But nothing would come to her.

Faith was as equally stumped.

"I want to go back to the Fairy Garden," said Mischief. "I want to see if he'll get rid of it for me."

Spark looked at him and her ears drooped as she looked back out over the valley. "But... again, it's..."

"You don't need to come. If you take this collar off me, I'll go back myself."

Harlequin gave him a firm look. "We need you."

Mischief stared back at her and both of their stares became frowns. Mischief pushed himself to his feet and Harbinger stood, moving closer to Harlequin while keeping his red eyes locked on Mischief.

Enigma looked from each of the glowering Pokemon and cleared his throat.

"Well, this is quickly turning hostile. I think we need to get a move on."

He stood up and moved away from them.

"I'm not going to fight him." Harbinger closed his eyes and turned away from Mischief. "I don't believe in turning on my allies."  
Mischief's arms fell limply to his sides as he watched Harbinger move away from him. Cleo's heart sank. She reached out to him but her eye caught the bracelet and she faltered, letting it drop back to her side. Faith gave her a small smile and placed a paw on his shoulder to usher him to sit back down.

Harlequin's body drooped and she sighed. "Poor choice of words, Harbie."

The Absol looked back at her then looked up at Mischief. He stared at him for a moment, his expression softening. He looked away again and sighed.

"I'm sorry."  
"Don't worry, Mischief," said Harlequin. "We will go back to the Fairy Garden. Just first, we have stuff to do." She glanced around quickly then lowered her voice. "After we've killed Hydreigon, we'll be free to go back to the Fairy Garden."

Harbinger and Enigma both snapped to look at her.

"Erm..." Enigma cleared his throat. "Did I just hear you right?"

Harlequin looked back at him. "You came to help us didn't you? I assumed you knew."

Enigma shook his head. "We came to help you to stop him finding Yveltal. There was nothing about going into the Shadow Lands and killing Hydreigon."

"Well this is our plan. I go in there and -"

"Go _in_ there?" Enigma dug his claws into his knee and narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't like this, Harle."

"I have my illusion," she told him. "And poison. I have a plan."

"And what do we do while you're beyond those walls?"

"Wait."

All eyes were now on Harlequin and Enigma. The Banette looked like he was about to explode at any moment.

"You'll be backup," Harlequin went on. "If anything goes wrong, or if they chase after me, fight them."

He looked away from her and let out a flustered breath.

"I don't like this, Harle."

"Neither do we," said Cleo. "But it's all we've got."

Harbinger closed his eyes and shrugged. "I'm with Harlequin."

Enigma shot him a glare. "What? Are you serious?!"

"Yes." Harbinger didn't look at him. "When my clan was murdered I managed to escape the Shadow Lands, but I would have given anything to go back in there and destroy that dragon. If Harlequin has a plan to do that, then I'm with him."

Enigma growled under his breath and looked away. "We all have reasons to want him dead."

Cleo looked down at her paws. So much had been destroyed during this war. Just a couple of seasons ago, she'd never have guessed that even the dark Pokemon themselves had been effected in such terrible ways.

"Well this is the only plan we've got," said Harlequin. "You don't need to worry. I'll be disguised, and if I succeed, he'll be killed. We won't need to worry about him any more." She smiled. "We'll be free."  
Enigma gave her a glance. "And if you fail?"  
Harlequin looked away from him. "Don't think about that. Assume I won't."

The tension that had fallen over them felt like it could be sliced with their claws. Cleo absently wrung her paws together. If she was hungry before, she was rapidly losing her appetite. And she wasn't alone.

Harbinger pushed his berries away and frowned. "I'm done. Let's go."

"Well I'm not!" said Spark. "And Cleo hasn't eaten yet."  
Cleo shook her head. "I told you I'll eat while we walk."

"You can also eat while you wait." Spark picked up a strip of fish and handed it to her.

Cleo admitted her defeat and flopped to the floor beside the Dedenne.

"Okay, fine." Harbinger tucked his paws beneath himself and lay down. "Make it quick, before the sun sets again."  
Spark snorted and stuffed a berry in her mouth. "We have all day."  
Harbinger shot her a glare and she grinned.

"You know..." Harlequin inched over to him. "If you want to pass time..." She gave him a nudge.

Harbinger looked at her. "What?"

She leapt to her feet and turned to face him. "You can try and catch me."

He raised an eyebrow. "Where's this just come from?"  
"We did it when we first met." She grinned. "It'll make up for lost time."

Harbinger rolled his eyes. "We're not hatchlings anymore, Harlequin."

"Oh come on!" Harlequin nudged him again and he swatted her with his paw. "It'll help take our minds off things a bit."

Enigma stared at them. "What? You're actually gonna run around like a pair of kids?" He chuckled and leant back against a tree. "This I've got to see."  
"Come on!"

Harbinger grumbled and looked away from her. "Lie back down. You're acting like a fool."  
She grinned and moved over to him. He watched her warily and she stuck out her tongue and licked his nose. He looked up sharply and she leapt back, giggling.

Harbinger shook his head and stood up slowly. In a flash he darted at her and she ran away in laughter. As he turned to follow after her, Cleo could make out a small smile on his face.

Enigma watched after them and shook his head. "Well, that's a side of him I've never seen."

Faith chuckled and wiped berry juice off her paws. "I think it's cute."

Harlequin raced past them with Harbinger on her tail. He swatted her with his paw and leapt away, and she doubled back and took off after him.

Faith laughed jovially and stood up, chasing after the two Pokemon. Harlequin span to face her and skipped backwards before bolting off to overtake Harbinger, nipping at his shoulder as she passed.

Mischief leant forward on his knees and smiled. "She seems like a different Pokemon now."  
Cleo nodded and leant back on her paws, watching the three playful Pokemon. Harbinger sped after Faith and Harlequin, their laughter filling the air and making it feel a lot lighter. After their recent discussion it seemed like such a tranquil moment.

But if everything went to plan, it would all change. By the time night fell, they'd be in the trees of the Border Woods... and by the time the sun rose, hopefully this awful war would be over.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	65. A Fatal Error

**A/N - Thanks for all faves, reviews and follows! =D You guys are awesome!**

**I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas! The next update will be Saturday! =D**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

65 – A Fatal Error

The news of Outcasts breaching the Border Woods had spread quickly.

Yurlik stood on the wall of the Shadow Lands, staring out at the desolate trees. The majority of his Murkrow flock had been split into three groups, each one accompanied by Weavile. One was in the Shadow Mountains, another was in the far north isle, and the third group had dissipated into the Border Woods searching for any sign of that cocoon.

The ones that had been left as guards had been almost entirely wiped out in a battle with two dragons, one of which was an Outcast. There weren't enough of them left to provide an army against another Outcast invasion. He'd have to rely on the remaining Pokemon in the Shadow Lands for that.

He frowned. Outcasts. Two of them. One riding on a dragon.

A dragon Outcast.

That was something he never expected to hear.

Yet it was hardly surprising given what had happened to two of their aces.

He didn't know what their plan was, but he didn't like it one bit. His eyes went over to a cave nestling in the side of a rocky crag. A pile of rubble had built at one end of the Shadow Lands from years of landslides from the mountains, and there were a certain group of dragon Pokemon who called that cave home. If he wanted to find those Outcasts, he was going to need some help. He beat his wings and rose into the air, swerving towards the cavern.

The cave was almost pitch black inside, but unmistakable winged shapes hung from the ceiling. Little Noibat flapped their wings as Yurlik landed on the lip of the giant cave mouth.

"Wake up," he commanded.

Hundreds of yellow eyes opened and one of the larger Pokemon – a Noivern – leered at him.

"What's this about, Honchkrow?" he boomed.

The other Noibat and Noivern fluttered their wings, their shrill screeches filling the cave.

"I need your assistance," Yurlik told them. The words caused his feathers to stand on end. "There's been some Outcasts breaching the Border Woods. Find them and bring them back here."

The cave exploded into action and Yurlik ducked, using his wings to shield his head as the flock of bat-like dragons bolted from the cave, their shrill cries filling the air.

...

Cold.

That's how it felt.

The moment Cleo and her friends were beyond the trees of the Border Woods, it felt cold.

The sun peeked through the branches and brushed its rays on the tree trunks and woodland floor, the sky turning a dingy red above the canopy as it slowly set. Yet it still seemed awfully dark.

Foliage crunched under their paws, and they kept their ears pricked and eyes open, bracing themselves for a Murkrow assault at any moment.

"It's odd that they've not noticed us yet," said Enigma. "They're normally more vigilant than this."

"Keep your voice down," said Cleo. "And just be grateful about it."

Enigma chuckled. "I am. I don't want a replay of my last visit here."

"None of us do," said Harlequin flatly.

"And we won't," Cleo added. "So long as we're careful."  
Enigma glanced at Harlequin and frowned, looking away and folding his paws behind his head. It was obvious he still wasn't happy with the Zorua's plan.

Spark poked her little head out of Cleo's fur. "What do we do when night falls?"

Cleo grit her teeth. She hadn't really thought about that. "I guess... we just set up tent and stay awake."

"Generally, we hide," said Harlequin. "If you're not a member of the Darkness, being nocturnal in this place is just asking to be killed."

"Then where do we hide?" Spark asked.

Harlequin glanced up at her. "Find a burrow, or a hollowed tree, a thick bush, something that is organic and not a tent."

"Or find some outlaws," said Harbinger. "They live in groups, and some of them have buildings."

"Buildings?" Spark snorted. "That's not organic."

"No, but when you live here permanently like they do, you want something that will withstand a Murkrow's claws."

"Hmm." Spark huddled down into Cleo's shoulder. "Makes sense."

"It's what we've done," said Cleo. "Pokemon left their normal nests and went to live behind walls."

Faith gave a small, sad sigh. "It's awful that's been forced upon you."

Cleo shrugged. "I grew up used to it. My family already lived in a tree house."

"Me too," said Spark.

Faith looked at each of them in turn. "All of you?"  
Harlequin looked up at her. "I didn't. I lived beneath a tree."

"Oh? Do you miss it?"

She looked away from the Mawile. "No."  
Harlequin fell quiet and a sombre look fell across her face. She picked up her pace and moved ahead of them.

Enigma shifted uneasily and looked back at them, fixing his eyes on Spark. The small Dedenne was staring at him with a fierce intensity.

"Don't look at me," he said. "He never tells me anything. I suppose I'm fortunate enough he even told me about Harbinger."

"Enigma." Harlequin faltered, and the fur along her spine bristled slightly.

"What?"

She lowered her head and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. With a sigh, she shook her head slowly and moved on. "Nothing."

Enigma shrugged and fell in pace behind her.

The rest of them had to walk faster to keep up with the Zorua.

"How big is this wood?" Spark asked.

"Huge."

It was Mischief who'd answered. Cleo looked back at him, but he was staring at the floor, carefully stepping around brittle plants and fallen twigs.

"It goes on for miles," said Harbinger. "And finally ends at the Shadow Lands."

"Wow." Spark raised both eyebrows. "How long will it take us to get there?"

"If we keep walking at this pace and don't sleep..." Harbinger glanced up at the sky through the canopy. "We should be there just after sunrise."

"Wow."

"If we do sleep... then just after sunset tomorrow."

"Just after sunrise would be better," said Harlequin. "Most of them will be asleep."

"The only problem will be walking in the dark," said Enigma. "Two of us don't exactly have a type advantage."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

...

Cleo couldn't sleep.

They'd spent the night buried in a wide bush, and she'd spread the blue sheet of the tent over them so they couldn't be seen through the branches. The dark blue colour served well as camouflage in the night and Harlequin had confirmed it worked almost perfectly.

She didn't know if anyone else had slept or not. Faith looked a little tired but that could have been anxiety due to their situation. Enigma always seemed to have bags under his eyes, and Harbinger stated outright he hadn't slept a wink. He'd kept an ear open, and like Cleo, had been worrying about the voices he'd heard in the distance.

A small number of Murkrow had appeared in the trees above them overnight, but they hadn't seen them. They cawed periodically, receiving replies from more of their flock far away from them. By the time morning came around, they'd gone again.

"It's so strange." Cleo hopped over a root poking through the ground. "I got the impression this place was always heavily watched by the Murkrow."

"It is, normally," said Enigma.

"I think I know what's caused this," said Harlequin. "They're looking for that Yveltal."

"So they abandoned their posts?" Spark twitched her nose. "Not that I'm complaining."

"Despite how big Yurlik's flock is, they've taken a hefty beating in this war. Even if he split them up, he'd need to send enough out to search the entire region. One task would have to suffer."

"Well, it's worked in our favour," said Cleo.

A snap echoed through the trees and they froze, all eyes going to the thick foliage on their left. They stood staring, their breathing audible in the following silence. Harbinger's nose twitched as he sniffed the air and he lowered his head, his fur bristling.

"Dragon," he whispered. "We don't know if they're a friend so ready your attacks."

Cleo's ears hummed as she braced herself to fire a disarming voice at whatever lurked beyond those bushes.

"Wait!" A large, bipedal dragon stepped out from the bush with her paws raised in surrender. Her eyes were large and wide and a trail of slime dripped from her chin. "We're friends. Don't attack us, please."

A slimy snail-like Pokemon followed after her, keeping his head low to the ground as he surveyed the odd group.

A Goodra and a Sliggoo. Cleo had never seen either Pokemon before, but she'd heard of them.

"You're outlaws?" Harbinger didn't relax his posture. He kept his red eyes locked and leering at the two dragon Pokemon.

The Goodra nodded. "Yes. We are." She looked over at Enigma and Harlequin. "And I know you two are as well. Please believe us! We're not lying."

"Why is this wood so quiet?" Harbinger asked. "And if you're outlaws, why were you spying?"

"We're hiding!" said the Goodra. "We heard you talking and hid."

"Yeh. We're wondering the same thing," said the Sliggoo in a high voice. "The last thing we heard, the Murkrow tried to fight off some Outcasts. Now this wood is oddly quiet. But... we've seen some Weavile and Sneasel flitting about at night, as though they're looking for something. We thought you might be them, up during the day."

"Looking for something?" Enigma looked down at Harlequin and chuckled. "What do you know. You were right."

"But it's not just the Murkrow," Harlequin told him. She looked back at the two dragons. "Others are searching as well."

Harbinger was still leering at the two dragons. "You think these are with them? They're lying?"

"Relax." Faith placed a paw on his shoulder and smiled at the Goodra and her friend. "You need to learn to trust others a little."

Harbinger snorted. "Trust? This is a war. That's how you die."

The two slimy dragons shifted uneasily and the Goodra rubbed her paws together and glanced away from them.

"But they're scared." Faith smiled at the dragons. "You don't need to worry about us. You might actually be able to help us."

Harbinger shot the Mawile a glare.

"She has a good point," said Harlequin. "The more numbers we have -"

"Numbers?" The Goodra looked back at Harlequin. "If you're wanting us to battle with you..." She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but we're not fighting the Darkness."

"Fine. Then tell us. What is the state at the wall right now? Is it still guarded?"

"Of course it's guarded!" the Sliggoo gasped. "What? Are you planning to just walk in?"

"In disguise."

The Goodra and Sliggoo looked at each other aghast and shook their heads.

"Madness," said the Goodra.

"Well there's no other way," said Harlequin. "I don't fly, I don't burrow."

"Burrow? ...There... actually..." The Goodra rubbed her paws together again. "Come with us."

Harbinger growled as the two Pokemon moved away. They looked back at him.

"Follow you?" he sneered.

"We might know another way in," said the Goodra quietly. "If it's still open, that is."

"Another way in?" Spark looked at Cleo. "I don't know what I think about this."

Harbinger snarled. "Exactly."

Harlequin looked from the dragons to Harbinger and shook her head. "I'm following them. If this works..."

Harbinger stared at her for a moment then snorted. "Fine. But I'm staying on my guard."

Enigma gave him a nod. "So am I, big guy. Don't worry."

The Absol leered at him then trudged through the foliage after Harlequin.

Enigma sighed and looked at Faith. "You try to be supportive, you get a leer."

The two dragons didn't say anything else as they lead the group through the foliage. They walked for a long time as the sun moved through the sky, deviating away from the path they had been walking on originally. The trees grew further apart in this section of the woods, the ground covered with tangling weeds and crawling ivy. Thick patches of nettles sprouted up between the trees, snatching at their fur. Cleo had to pick a couple of spindly stalks off her body as she climbed through them, and as the plants grew taller they had to shield their eyes as the prickly stems snapped back after the dragons passed through ahead of them.

A stagnant smell rose into the air and Cleo crinkled her nose, trying not to grimace. The ground became boggy and thick mud stuck to her paws as they squelched through the earth. The plants began to thin out as they changed variety to ones preferring the wet conditions. Long bullrushes poked through the water beside a long fallen tree, rotting and covered with fungus and moss. It lay stretched out across the swamp to rest at an island in the middle of it. Its branches had long since broken away to nothing more than rotten, splintered ends. The sound of running water could be heard in the distance from a river Cleo assumed was hidden behind the mass of bullrushes and other tall, green plants protruding from the swampy earth. Beyond that, the forest continued on, the large, old trees spreading their sparse branches budding with tiny green leaves.

The two dragons didn't take the fallen tree. Instead they waded through the shallow, filthy water towards the sound of the river.

"We have to walk through this?" Mischief dipped a toe in the water and grimaced.

Enigma appeared from thin air on the rotting tree and when he caught Mischief's forlorn look, he sighed.

"Fine," he said. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll wade through it too."

The Banette dropped into the swamp and flinched as it soaked through his fur.

Harlequin chuckled at him and waded past, following after the two dragons who were now waiting patiently beside a thick spread of bullrushes.

The water splashed around them and muddy trails rose up Cleo's white fur. When they emerged at the other side, the two dragons eyed them cautiously as they shook themselves dry, and Harbinger returned their look with a fierce leer, his entire body dyed grey from the swamp.

"It's here." The Goodra pulled the long plants aside, and beyond them was the river running down from a small waterfall beside a knobbly tree which grew up on the other side of the river.

"What? The river?" Harbinger asked. "You should know full well all rivers flow away from the Shadow Lands. You're suggesting we swim upstream?" His glare made the Goodra back away slightly.

"Look beneath the tree," she said.

They followed her gaze to the tree. Beneath it was a large hole, running down into the ground.

"I don't know how safe it is," she said. "But it runs all the way to the lake beyond the walls."

Harlequin dived into the river, and Cleo raised her paws to shield herself from the water that splashed up onto the bank. The Zorua clambered out on the other side, her fur dripping wet. She sniffed at the ground around the tree and poked her head inside. Cleo placed a paw to her chest as she watched anxiously, expecting a nasty Pokemon to grab Harlequin and pull her out of sight into the ground.

She pulled her head back out and looked over at them.

"It's been dug by Toxicroak."

She swam back across the river to join them and shook herself dry, causing Cleo and Faith to leap back from her.

"Toxicroak used to live in this swamp," she explained. "It's where I got my poison training. They were obviously preparing themselves for an attack on the Shadow Lands before they were wiped out, and that there is our evidence." She nodded at the tunnel.

"You got your training here?" Spark asked.

"Yes. A Zangoose trained me." She stared across the river at the knobbly tree. "Going off the evidence, I think she wanted to use me to help them infiltrate the Shadow Lands, much like I'm doing now."

They sat in silence for a long while, and Cleo's heart felt heavy. Any moment now, this battle would take a sudden turn. She could feel the tension of those next to her, and the Goodra and Sliggoo fidgeted behind them as they watched the group anxiously.

"Okay."

Harlequin's voice made Cleo jump and she looked down at the Zorua. Her blue eyes were still on the tunnel. She glanced up at them and stood, moving over to the water's edge.

"I'm going in," she said. "You swim across to the other side, and wait by the tree. Keep any dark Pokemon away. If I'm not back out by the time the sun rises tomorrow..."

"Stop it, Harle." She looked up at Enigma and he returned her look with a frown. "You _will_ be back."

She stared up at him and smiled, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She appeared to be about to say something but instead she looked away sharply and dived into the river with a splash. Cleo's blood turned into ice as she watched the Zorua clamber back out on the other side and vanish into the hole, out of sight.

It was on. The plan was officially in action.

...

Cleo's fur still felt damp from swimming through the river. She stood hugging herself as she stared anxiously at the gaping hole beneath the tree. Harlequin had been gone for a while now, and the sun was starting to set painting the sky in a vivid red.

That red sky had been a regular occurrence throughout Cleo's entire life. It was just something that happened when the sun set, but now it seemed ominous. Dangerous. They were stood in the thick of it. The Border Woods. A place of danger where the dark and dragon Pokemon patrolled regularly; where other Pokemon rarely left alive.

"It's getting dark."

The words startled her as they came out of her mouth and she hugged herself tighter.

"We could hide in the hole?" Spark suggested. "That way, we'll be out of sight."

The Goodra and Sliggoo stood on the other side of the river, watching them with wide eyes. They shifted uneasily and glanced away from the group, their eyes drifting to the sky.

"You don't need to wait with us," Cleo told them. "You may as well hide."

"That's what _we're _doing," said Spark. "Come on, let's get in that hole and -"

With a splat, a glob of slime spread across the hole. Spark let out a squeak of surprise and snapped to look round at the two dragons. They backed away from them slowly, looking from the group to the now blocked hole. The Goodra wiped a paw across her mouth, scattering slime onto the floor. She threw her head back and let out a guttural howl. The Sliggoo copied her, the awful sound echoing through the woods.

Harbinger roared and lurched forwards, flicking his horn and sending a flurry of air at the two dragons. It struck the ground where they'd been standing as they leapt backwards and took off into the swamp, vanishing beneath the murky surface.

Shrill shrieks followed, and erratic wing beats vibrated through the canopy.

"Noibat!" Harbinger hissed.

A deep rumble shook the branches and dark, winged shapes descended upon them. Some small, some large.

Cleo felt her heart sink. Noivern... no one survived a fight with a Noivern. They got lucky once, but now it was dark. They were in their element. They couldn't fight them. No this many!

They moved so quickly, their bodies blending with the shadows. Wherever they looked, those bats were there. There was nowhere to run. Spark leapt from Cleo's shoulder, her whiskers sparking, but before her paws could hit the ground she was snatched up in a pair of sharp talons.

"I got a snack! I got a snack!"

The little Noibat chuckled as he waved the startled Dedenne in his claws.

The look of surprise soon left Spark's face and a flash of lightning flooded the canopy, engulfing the little Noibat. He shrieked and Spark plummeted back to the ground.

Cleo rushed through the darting bats to catch her, but pain shot through her back. She landed face first in the dirt as wicked claws dug into her shoulder and lifted her from the ground. Spark's tiny body bounced across the ground as a Noibat hit her with his head. The dragon clutching Cleo grabbed the Dedenne in his jaws and shook her violently.

"Put her down!" Cleo screamed.

The Noivern shot her a leer and chuckled.

Spark hung limply in his mouth and gave a small groan. One crush of his jaws and she would be gone. Cleo's breathing was heavy as she frowned up at the dragon, not daring unfurl her ears to strike him or any of the others.

The whole flock was on them now, darting about and shrieking, beating their wings and creating utter chaos. She saw Harbinger try to fight off hundreds of the little bats and Noivern, and one of the larger dragons tossed him into the air and caught him by his shoulder. Faith had taken her mega form, but two Noivern had hold of each horn as she flailed in their grip. Mischief hung flailing in the air by his neck as two Noibat beat him back and forth like a pendulum, their faces split in wicked grins as they laughed at the helpless Whimsicott.

Enigma was fighting off three Noivern while trying to avoid a cloud of Noibat snapping at his body. He vanished and reappeared a foot away only to be engulfed in bats once more. Another warp was met by a dragon breath from one of the Noivern and the massive bat was on him in a flash, his claws digging into the Banette's neck.

"Unless you want your friends to die, I suggest you co-operate, ghost!" His voice boomed, amplified by his large ears.  
Enigma closed his eyes in defeat as the dragon raised him into the air.

His words seemed to ring through the rest of the group. The struggles from the other Pokemon came to an abrupt stop as their concerns went out to their friends. The shrill screeches from the Noibat stopped and the air was filled with the heavy, frightened breathing from the Outcasts.

"Made a stupid mistake, didn't you?!" the Noivern went on as he leered at the rest of the Outcasts. Cleo assumed this one must be their boss. A large scar ran down over his left eye which crinkled as he pulled his lips back in a sneer and laughed. "Can't trust a dragon. Not even a rebel. Funny what they'll do in exchange for their own lives, isn't it?"

Cleo's heart hammered in her chest. The ground seemed so far away now. Far away and deadly, should the Noivern drop her.

"Outcasts breaching the borders." The boss Noivern looked over the group and his eyes rested on Mischief. "Oh ho! And there's the Whimsicott! I'm guessing the one that killed our Boomer?" He laughed, sending shivers through Cleo's spine. "That little runt gave him so much trouble? If I weren't obeying orders I'd pull him to bits myself!"

"No!" Cleo covered her mouth with her paws as the Noivern's eyes locked onto her. Her heart was hammering so much she was convinced the Noivern could hear it.

His face spread into a wicked grin and he gave one last look over the helpless Pokemon before turning his attention to the rest of the bats. "Bring 'em in! And if any of 'em struggle..." he chuckled drily and locked his eyes back on Cleo. "Kill 'em all."

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	66. The Price of Poison

**A/N - IMPORTANT - There's a small reference to a history of domestic violence in this chapter. I'll mark it off with (!) at the beginning and end of the section so you can skip over it if it's something that makes you uncomfortable. It's small and rather dusted over but I'd rather you avoided it if you are unsettled by that kind of thing.**

**I'm glad I was able to update this today! The update schedule may be a bit wacky for a couple of weeks. I'll try and get it updated normally next week though =D so close to the end now!**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

66 – The Price of Poison

The narrow tunnel spread out into a wide cavern. Harlequin sped through it, her ears pricked for any sign of danger. It had been a quiet journey, for which she was very grateful. The tunnel had been smooth, unhindered, and it had joined what appeared to be an old nest for a water dwelling Pokemon such as Floatzel or Swampert. Whatever it was, it had been big.

The ground sloped downward, becoming more damp the further she went. Water reached her paws and she paused, staring into the dark, shallow water. This was the lake. She had to keep her head above the water, and when it got too deep, duck and keep heading up.

She gave herself a nod and waded in until the water reached her chin. She took a deep breath and kicked herself beneath the surface, then darted upward. It was deep. That cavern had been dug deep beneath the lake and a small panic filled her chest. Her lungs felt like they were going to burst and she kicked harder, pushing herself closer to what she hoped was the surface.

But what if she was going the wrong way?  
She panicked again, and a stream of bubbles left her mouth.

No. She couldn't panic. She had a job to do.

The pressure in the water lessened and her nose broke through the surface of the lake. She took in a deep breath and looked around her, gasping. The moon was high above her, its reflection rippling violently on the surface of the water.

Fortunately no one had seen her. The lake was surrounded by thick bushes and just beyond them she could make out a herd of Deino.

She let her illusion wash over her and pushed herself towards the bank. When she moved through those bushes, what they would see would be a disoriented, wet Deino. One that had fallen in the river after wandering blindly into the bushes.

The ground on the other side was wide and bare, and in the distance she could see that dark castle with its long flight of steps. Her heart began to race. She couldn't give up now. Not while she was so close.

She gave the herd of Deino a wide girth. If they smelled her, her plan would be over. Deviating away from the group wouldn't be odd behaviour, all things considered. Deino were blind. Blind and stupid. They might have a good sense of smell, but they couldn't even follow their own noses.

She stifled a chuckle and kept pressing on. Things were going well. If she managed to make it to those stairs...

A Weavile moved into view and climbed onto the staircase. He paused and looked out at the courtyard, his ears and nose twitching. His eyes trailed over the Deino herd, frowning at their foolish fight as they raked wounds onto the backs of their brothers. Then he spotted Harlequin – or a lone Deino – strutting with confidence towards the stairs.

Harlequin berated herself under her breath and turned sharply, moving off her path towards the Deino herd, then stopped, sniffing at the air. She then turned a full one-eighty and walked the other way. This seemed to satisfy the Weavile as he turned and went back to the castle door.

Harlequin smirked and turned towards the stairs again. They were so close now. Her heart hit her throat as her paw touched the bottom step. There was no sign of the Weavile. She assumed he'd gone into the castle to take on door duties.

She dragged herself onto the stairs and yelped, her illusion failing as a searing pain shot through her back. She felt herself lifted into the air and all wind flew out of her mouth as her back struck the hard, cold ground.

The leering face of a Honchkrow appeared above her and she choked as his talons dug into her throat.

"Well, well, well." Yurlik clicked his beak and grinned. "Look who's come back!"  
She screamed as he dug his talons further into her neck.

"I wouldn't be so worried if you hadn't shown up in disguise. That's where your little plan failed, Harlequin. I can practically smell the poison." He lowered his beak to her face and she flinched away from him. "I'd heard there were Outcasts in the Border Woods. I assume they're friends of yours? I mean... why else would you be back here, rebel?!"

No... she closed her eyes, fighting back tears. She wasn't going to give this foul bird the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

Enigma's voice echoed in her mind. '_You will be back._'

'_I'm sorry._' She screwed her eyes shut and fought back a whimper. '_I've failed..._'

Shrill screeches filled the air. Her ears twitched and she strained to follow the Honchkrow's eyes as he looked up in the direction of the wall. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she heard the beating wings of a flock of large, flying Pokemon.

He tutted and looked back down at her.

"Looks like they've found your friends. I guess I'll let _him_ deal with you."

No... she grit her teeth as Yurlik lifted her from the ground. The wing beats grew louder and louder, followed by a deep rumble that seemed to shake the very ground. Noibat landed on the castle walls, their upside-down faces leering at her. A series of thuds resounded behind her and she twisted in the large bird's talons. The courtyard had exploded into activity now as small Sneasel, Scraggy and other dark Pokemon left the barracks to see what was going on. Four Noivern stood out amongst them, holding captive Pokemon in their claws, pressing them against the ground.

Her friends...

Her heart sank.

She'd failed.

It was over.

Yurlik smacked his beak against the door.

"Open the door, rat!"

The Weavile opened the door and frowned at Yurlik. When he saw Harlequin and the group of Noivern, his frown fell and he leapt aside, letting the Honchkrow and the dragons enter. The Noivern shot the Weavile filthy looks as they passed, dragging their captives along the dirty tiles.

When Harlequin saw the double doors with their trident pattern of a Hydreigon, her heart hit her throat and beat against her rib cage.

This wasn't it.

It couldn't be over.

She closed her eyes as the doors swung open and she found herself tossed to the ground. The sound of gasps and yelps from her friends echoed in the room as they skidded along the ground beside her. When she opened her eyes again, she was sprawled before the massive Hydreigon. All three of his heads looked at her, and her heart almost froze in her chest.

"Harlequin," he growled. He looked round at the rest of the Pokemon. "And Enigma?! I thought you were dead!"

He looked up at Yurlik and the Honchkrow gulped.

"I guess I was mistaken, my lord."

Hydreigon growled, a deep rumble that shook the room. Harlequin could make out the shapes of Sneasel and Weavile, along with a couple of Scrafty, slink across the room.

"You've done your job, Noivern," said Hydreigon. "And Yurlik... Get out of my sight."

"Erm..." Yurlik faltered in the doorway. "What about those trainees who just snuck in?"

"Leave them. They were nosey enough to walk in. I want them to see what happens to those who rebel against me."  
The other dark Pokemon pressed themselves up against the wall as looks of uncertainty crossed their faces. Several of them looked to the door as it closed loudly behind the Honchkrow.

Hydreigon let out a single laugh and looked up at the group of captives.

"Well. Isn't this interesting. You've not only joined the Outcasts, you've picked up a filthy Absol along the way."

Harlequin pushed herself to her feet, but one of Hydreigon's heads crashed down on her, knocking her back to the ground.

"Don't you dare stand! I'll decide what to do with you!"

She strained to look at her friends. They were lined up against the wall beside the Noivern. The small number of trainees cowered in the corners, and she could hear some shuffling against the wall behind her.

"I heard you were friends with an Absol once. One that Yurlik was sent to track down and kill. But it looks like that pathetic bird can't even finish a simple job!" The dragon aimed one of his heads at Enigma which was returned with a leer from the Banette. "Personally, I think I should kill you all," Hydreigon went on. "But I think it would be much more interesting if I played a little bargaining game with you."

He looked back down at Harlequin and her heart hammered against her ribcage.

"I don't like Absol," he said. "I hate them. They're filthy Pokemon that bring disasters. Vermin." He leant his large head on one of his smaller ones and stared at her. Her blood had begun to boil and she could feel the fur on her hackles bristling. "Here's the thing. I can simply kill all of you now. Or... _you_ can kill that _Absol_."

Harlequin gasped, her eyes widening slowly. "What?"

"Bring it here!"

Hydreigon's voice boomed around the room. The Noivern holding Harbinger leapt into action and dragged him across the room so he was standing on Hydreigon's other side. The room was filled with voices as the trainees discussed what might be going on, but the other captives were silent. Harlequin could see Enigma seething and Faith had covered her mouth with her paws as she watched the Absol dragged to his feet. He limped heavily on his left leg, the white fur of his shoulder coated with blood where the Noivern had grabbed him.

"Silence!"

The room fell into silence and Hydreigon turned his wicked eyes back onto Harlequin.

"I know you have a Nidoking horn. It's what your famous for. Now. It's quite simple," he said. "You kill the Absol, or I'll kill _all of you_."

"I..." Harlequin looked at Harbinger. He kept his head low but his red eyes were fixed on her. "I can't..."

Hydreigon examined one of his other heads boredly. "Do you want me to kill your friends?"

Harlequin looked over at her friends. She'd never seen them look so afraid. Cleo was hugging herself, while the Noivern above her held Spark's limp body. Faith was looking from Harlequin to Harbinger, her paws still clasped over her mouth. Mischief was visibly shaking next to Enigma who was no longer able to look at her. She closed her eyes and looked away, but Harbinger caught her gaze and she looked up at him.

"Well?" Hydreigon growled. "What will it be?"

Harbinger met her eyes and nodded. Then he closed his eyes and lowered his head.

_No..._

Harlequin choked back a sob and looked away from him. Then she reached into her bag, pulling out the Nidoking horn.

"Good. Now kick your bag over here."

She looked away from the dragon and dropped her bag to the ground. She kicked it and one of the Weavile leapt out of the shadows to grab it.

No anti-venom. She had to do this right.

One chance...

One chance to spare all of her friends.

One chance to miss, and hope Harbinger would play along.

She clutched the horn in her jaws and closed her eyes tight, running past Harbinger. She felt the horn snatch and the Absol grunted.

Tears leaked from her closed eyes and trickled down her face. Had she missed? She hoped desperately she'd missed.

The following thud behind her caused her heart to leap into her throat as Harbinger collapsed to the ground.

"Excellent! Now..." Hydreigon laughed. "Get that filthy thing out of here! Throw him in the lake. That should finish him off." He paused and a nasty smile spread across his face. "As for the rest of them... take them out of here and kill them."

Harlequin's heart lurched.

_Lies?!_

She glanced back at Harbinger, lying sprawled on the ground. The claws of a Noivern fastened around his neck as he dragged him across the room.

Harlequin's blood boiled.

She turned the horn in her jaws and lunged at Hydreigon. The horn plunged deep into his side and he threw back his head in a thundering howl. The walls of the room shook and he opened his mouth wide, sending a stream of darkness across the room and striking the double doors. They flew open the wrong way, the hinges splintering and sending small shards of wood into the air. The Pokemon exploded into action, many of them racing for the open door, pushing through those waiting on the other side and bursting through into the hallway.

The Noivern beat the air with their wings, and a flash exploded through the room. Three of the Noivern were caught in the blast, electricity dancing across their wings as they faltered mid-flight.

Hydreigon turned his head towards Harlequin, his eyes flashing with fury as another dark pulse streamed from his mouth, arcing down towards her. She leapt into the air to avoid it, dropping the Nidoking horn onto the ground. Her claws skid across the tiles as she made for the door, her eyes not leaving the Noivern with Harbinger. She dodged a Sneasel and Scrafty as they rushed to intersect her, giving the latter a hefty kick as she flew over their heads, and before she knew it, she was out of the door and into the hallway.

...

The room had exploded into utter chaos. Cleo lashed out with her claws as a Noivern lunged at her, barring their exit to the door. He reeled back and struck her with his wing, catching Mischief and knocking her feet right out from under her. She landed hard on her stomach. When her eyes opened, she looked up into the open mouth of the Noivern. A deadly blast of purple light flew from his jaws, aiming straight for her face.

"Cleo!"  
The form of the tiny Dedenne appeared right in the midst of the blast.

Cleo screamed.

"Spark!"

Spark was engulfed in the dragon breath. Cleo's heart almost stopped as she stared at the spot the Dedenne had landed. Mere inches from her nose.

The blast washed over her like water. As it subsided she stood there, completely unharmed. She looked down at her paws as the Noivern backed away from her, completely perplexed.

Cleo's heart raced. What had just happened? Was Spark... part fairy?!

Spark's large eyes locked back onto the Noivern, and she leapt into the air, striking him on the nose.

He fell back with a grunt and she kicked him in the mouth before diving over him into the madness.

"Cleo! Get a move on!"  
Spark was right. She didn't have time to think over this. She stood up and ran after her, hopping over the unconscious Noivern. Spark ran through the path created by Faith and Enigma. Mischief ran behind her, not daring to look back.

They burst through the front door, and the first thing Cleo saw was the fierce, gaping mouth of a massive white dragon. He roared, blowing back many of the smaller dragons and angry Sneasel. He swerved away, giving Cleo and the others space to run into the courtyard. Alongside him flew a Salamence, Flygon and Altaria.

The ground was teaming with dark and dragon Pokemon, so many species Cleo couldn't keep track of them all. A herd of Garchomp and Gabite rushed at them and from the left and on the right stood a pack of Mighteyena. Weavile flexed their claws and raised them as they rushed from the shadows alongside Sneasel and Purrloin.

Surrounded. They were completely surrounded.

"Grab Cleo!" Reshiram bellowed.

A wave of noise rippled through the air as the Salamence roared, blowing back the Weavile and their allies and scattering the Mighteyena. He dropped from the sky, grabbing Mischief, Cleo and Spark and throwing them onto his back. One of the Garchomp landed where she'd been standing and turned his head up to them in a blind rage. A dragon breath flew from his mouth straight at the Salamence. He swerved back, catching his tail in the attack, but he didn't so much as flinch.

She caught sight of Faith below, beating off Garchomp, Gabite and Fraxure with her dual horns. Fire attacks streamed from their mouths, singing the Mawile's fur. Cleo's heart sank as the Mawile's mega form failed and her attacks began to falter.

Reshiram shot from the sky and did a back-flip, flames exploding from his tail. The Garchomp herd was split in two as they scattered to avoid the attack. Many of them were caught in the flames and lay motionless on the floor.

The Flygon streaked from the sky and scooped up Faith in his claws and the Mawile looked up at him with a relieved smile.

Cleo let out a sigh of relief. She was all right.

The Altaria swerved past them, blowing back several more of the dragon Pokemon with a loud hyper voice.

"It's Starshine!" she heard Faith shout.

Cleo looked up at the Altaria. Sat astride its back was a Riolu, his attention fully focused on the battle.

Tinker?

The Salamence swerved to avoid a chain of dragon breaths fired from the Noivern and Noibat flock, and Cleo lost her focus on the Riolu as she ducked one, feeling the heat as it skimmed her right ear.

"We can't fight them!" she told the Salamence. "There are too many of them, and they're Noivern!"

"A dragon move will work," he told her. "Besides, they're not going to use their signature attack within hearing range of their allies."

He opened his mouth and screamed out a hyper voice. The Noivern flinched back and some of the Noibat lost their balance and fell to the ground.

"We need a ranged fairy attack!" Faith shouted. She looked up at the Flygon. "Get me close to the Altaria!"

"Really?" The Flygon's voice was drowned with vibrations, but Cleo could still make out its words even amongst the chaos.

"Trust me!" Faith unfastened the Altarianite from her wrist. "Get me as close as you can."

The Flygon fired a dragon breath at a Noivern that got too close, knocking the giant bat from the sky to land on top of two Sneasel, crushing them beneath its body. He darted towards Starshine and Faith reached out to the young Altaria.

"Take this!" she told him.

"What are you doing, Mawile?" Tinker barked.

"It's Altarianite. Take it!"

Starshine didn't question it. He let Faith fasten the tiny bangle around his leg.

"As soon as your form changes, fire a hyper voice. Don't even think over it, just do it. Okay?"

Starshine opened his mouth, a look of confusion spreading across his face. A dragon breath exploded inches from his beak as the Flygon countered it with one of his own. Starshine shook his head sharply then nodded.

Faith raised her paw with the other bangle and Starshine was engulfed in light. The flock of Noibat heading towards him faltered momentarily as the light exploded from Starshine and he lurched backwards, causing Tinker to clutch onto his back, now almost completely hidden in a white, downy fluff.

Starshine opened his beak wide and fired a hyper voice at the Noibat. It engulfed them in a pink light and they screamed, dropping from the sky to land on the floor amongst the bodies of their fallen brethren.

One of the Noivern watched his flock fall then turned a livid glare onto the Altaria. The scar over his eye crinkled in disgust. He flashed his canines and opened his mouth, his ears beginning to vibrate. A dull throb filled the air.

"No!" The Salamance flapped his wings and flew backwards. He looked round at his comrades. "Quick! Get out of here!"

An indescribable sound filled the air. Cleo flinched, pressing her paws over her ears. She couldn't even see. The noise drowned out anything else around them. The ground seemed to give way below her and she felt like she was falling.

Her body lurched against the Salamence's back as a muffled yelp brought the awful sound to an abrupt stop. Cleo opened her eyes, steadying herself on the Salamence. He shook his head sharply and rubbed at his ears with his claws.

The Noivern had dropped from the sky, and Starshine was reeling back, trying to catch his breath. The numbers below them had dropped as many of the Pokemon were pressing themselves into the ground with their paws over their heads. The ones who were still standing rallied themselves and launched their attacks into the air at the disoriented dragons. Despite the lower numbers, there were still too many of them, and they were recovering fast. The ground was like a heaving mass of black bodies and flapping wings.

Their attacks came quick and heavy, the ice attacks from the Sneasel and Weavile mixing with the dark pulses and dragon breaths from the rest of their allies. The Flygon found himself coated in a film of ice which slowed his movements drastically and a dark pulse struck him in the stomach. He winced, almost dropping Faith from his frozen grip. She let out a yell of surprise and clutched on to his arms with her paws.

The Salamence swerved to dodge falling pillars of ice that struck the ground like rocks, leaving craters in the hard soil. A stream of fire flew from Reshiram's mouth and melted the attacks that followed.

The fallen Noibat and Noivern were rapidly gaining altitude, their shrill cries splitting the air. They dodged Reshiram's flamethrower and arced up towards them.

"Back up!" the Salamence ordered. His voice still sounded wobbly to Cleo's throbbing ears. "Back up! We're still outnumbered!"

"Come on, Mossfly!" The Sableye atop the Flygon steered him away from the ice attacks. "Get a wiggle on!"  
The four dragons shot towards the wall. The Noibat and Noivern darted past them, firing an endless stream of dragon breaths.

"Hope!" Reshiram roared.

A flash of purple light flew from his shoulders, knocking back the flock of bats. A Gardevoir stood on his back, her eyes locked on the disoriented Noivern. Her balance was remarkable. Reshiram moved so he was flying over Starshine, the Salamence and Flygon.

The world seemed to warp around them, and in a flash they were hovering in a clearing. A low, dirty building squatted in the middle of it.

Silence.

It was almost deafening.

Cleo could hear her ears humming from the boomburst and she grimaced. Normally she was used to her ears humming with power, but this was nothing like it. She wished desperately it would stop.

The dragons landed, and Cleo slipped from the Salamence's back. Mischief landed next to her and looked around him.

"Where are we?"

"The lab," said the Salamence. "We should be safe here."

Hope was looking up at the canopy, her arms raised above her head. She gave a nod and looked at the others.

"They won't see us. This place will look empty to them."

"You're back?"

The small voice sounded too familiar. Cleo looked round at the building. Standing in the doorway were two dragons – a Goodra and a Sliggoo.

"You!" Mischief pointed at them. "You! You_ tricked _us!"

He advanced towards them, but Hope cut in front of him. "Don't! They're friends."

"But... they tricked us! It's their fault we got attacked!"

The Goodra and Sliggoo ducked back inside the building, peering back out at them. Their entire bodies trembled, dripping slime onto the doorstep.

"It's their fault we failed!"

"You're wrong."

Mischief looked back at Reshiram. The large, white dragon stared down at him with a look none of them had seen before. His usual jovial expression was intimidatingly serious, and he seemed a lot larger.

"Your plan would _never_ have worked," he said. "It's not their fault Harlequin was caught. You're fortunate only one of you has been killed. You're fortunate we heard of your foolish plan and leapt into action!"

Cleo and Mischief cowered away from him, not wanting to meet his eyes. Spark huddled further into her collar. Even Faith couldn't look Reshiram in the eye.

"What were you thinking?" His voice came out softer and he shook his head.

Hope placed a paw on Faith's shoulder and she gave it a reassuring squeeze. "We'll talk about this later. Right now, we have other matters to deal with."

Faith followed the Gardevoir's gaze around the clearing and her eyes widened. She let out a gasp and span, looking back out at the trees.

"The lake..."

Her violet eyes were wide. She turned to look at Hope, and tears trailed down her face.

"Harlequin and Enigma aren't here!" She covered her mouth with her paws and stared up at Hope. "They were taking Harbinger to the lake. I think Harlequin went after him."

Cleo followed the Mawile's gaze back to the trees. "And that would mean Enigma's gone after her."

"What do you suggest we do?" Reshiram asked. "If any of us go after them, we'll be attacked."

"He's right," said the Salamence. "They're in an uproar after what you lot have just done."

Hope narrowed her eyes at the dragon. "Calm down, Ripwing. I agree their actions were foolish, but there's no need to point blame. Especially when two of their friends may be in danger."

Ripwing?

Cleo looked round at the Salamence, but her attention was torn as a snort came from Tinker.

He crossed his arms and leant back against the building. "I agree with him. There's no point going after the foolish assassins. I say we leave them. Lesson learned."

The Salamence fixed him with a leer. "I never said that."

"No. You're wrong." Hope stared at Tinker for a moment then looked away. "I'll go and find them. The lake, you said?"

"Try the swamp," said Cleo. "There's a tunnel there. But don't go alone. I can-"

"No. Take us."

Cleo looked back at the building. The Goodra and Sliggoo stepped out of it, and the Goodra held her paws together as she gingerly approached the Gardevoir.

"We want to help," she said. "We blocked up the tunnel. You don't need to touch it, we can clear it away."

Hope nodded and smiled. "Okay. Show me where it is. We'll teleport."

...

The cold water was dyed an inky black by the night sky. Streams of bubbles came from Harlequin's mouth as she forced herself towards the sinking body of the Absol. Kick after kick moved her closer, but he still continued to fall deeper and deeper.

She surged forwards two more times and caught his ruff in her jaws.

With another kick, she rose upwards, forcing her eyes to stay open under the lake's surface. The black, gaping hole of the cavern was visible even in the dark depths. She kicked herself forward, dragging Harbinger beneath her. Her chest felt tight and complained with lack of oxygen, but she didn't care. All she wanted to do was get Harbinger into that cavern. To check him over and make sure that horn hadn't wounded him. She hoped desperately he'd just played along. Hoped desperately the only reason he wasn't swimming was because of his wounded shoulder.

Her paws met the lip of the cavern and she dragged herself inside. She turned and moved backwards, dragging Harbinger through the deep water and up the slope to safety. When his head reached the surface he coughed violently, a spray of water flying from his mouth and he pushed himself onto his front, bringing it all back up from his chest. He dragged himself the rest of the way out of the lake and onto the dry ground of the tunnel.

His coughs filled the empty tunnel, and in the darkness Harlequin could make out his body lurching with the effort. She moved over to him, trailing her nose over his body.

Poison.

She could smell it.

Her heart sank and she fell down next to him.

"I'm sorry, Harbie." Tears leaked out of her eyes and she groaned as she groped for her missing bag. "I can't do anything. I don't have the anti-venom. They took it."

"Forget about it." She felt his large paw on her back. "I didn't expect to leave alive."  
"But... I don't want you to die." Her voice choked and she moved into him, burying her face into his chest. "It's my fault. I made a stupid mistake!"

His breathing echoed off the walls as he fought to catch his breath. He fastened his paw around her back and she sobbed into his fur.

"We all make mistakes," he said.

She wound her claws into his fur and sniffed.

"I've made a few," he went on. "I thought you'd abandoned me, so I tried to kill you. That's two."

She shook her head against his chest.

"What happened that night, Harlequin?"

Her eyes snapped open and she stared at her paw.

"You seemed so scared," he said. "I thought you'd given me away. After Yurlik appeared, I'd assumed it was a trick. But you were terrified. Why?"

**(!)**

She screwed her eyes shut and let out a small whine. It wasn't something she wanted to relive ever. But she needed to tell him... If she didn't, he'd never know.

She took in a wobbly breath and tightened her grip on his fur. "My father."

He didn't say anything, but his breathing still echoed around the cavern.

"I was only learning poison because of him," she explained. "Alia was teaching me. A Zangoose who lived in the swamp. She was reluctant to let me graduate and take the Nidoking horn, but I was desperate. You see... my father hated me. He thought everything about me was wrong. I wasn't what he wanted at all, so he'd beat me. Every time I went home, if our paths crossed, he'd get so angry at the mere sight of me. But he never wanted me to leave the nest either. I had to sneak out, and I took those lessons with Alia to get rid of him.

"But that night was different. He went too far, and it frightened me. I was desperate to get that horn, so I planned to go into the swamp after Alia went to sleep and steal it. I went to see you first, then ran to the swamp. Two massive mistakes. I was seen. After I poisoned the water, I ran to the den to find you. Yurlik caught me as I reached it. You were gone, he told me you'd been killed. And so had Alia and the other Pokemon living in the swamp." She sobbed and buried her face into his chest. "All because I wanted to get rid of my father."

**(!)**

Harbinger's body stiffened and she felt his claws against her spine. She didn't want to look at him. The tears kept coming and her body shook with sobs.

"I don't understand," he said. "Why would any Pokemon do that? In what way were you 'wrong'?"  
She shook her head and took in a shaky breath. "He didn't want a daughter."

Silence filled the tunnel once more, broken only by Harbinger's rasping breath. For a moment, she thought she heard a bell echo off the tunnel walls, but Harbinger didn't appear to hear it. Maybe she was imagining things. He pulled her closer and pressed his nose between her ears.

"Well... at least I now know the answer... to one of my biggest mysteries." His breathing was growing more rapid and his paw began to shake.

Fresh tears leaked out of Harlequin's eyes and she huddled into him.

"I always wondered what had happened to you... now I know. You were the first friend I ever made... and I thought you'd hurt me. It's good to know how wrong I was."

"I'd _never_ hurt you." She sobbed violently and fought to catch her breath. "That's why... I can't stand that I've done this!" Sobs shook her body and her voice strained. "I'm so sorry, Harbie."

His paw shifted and she felt it brush against her neck.

"Keep that mega stone," he said. "You looked after it well. I know you won't let anything happen to it."

She grit her teeth together, biting back a sob. This was it. It was over.

It couldn't be over.

"Please don't leave me..." her voice came out as a whisper.  
He gave her a squeeze and his grip went slack, his paw lying heavily across her shoulder.

Tears streamed from her eyes and she clutched onto his fur. She didn't want to go. She couldn't leave him.

He was gone.

He was really gone.

She had no idea how long she lay there. It wasn't until her sobs lessened that she finally pulled herself away from him. As she dragged herself up, something hit the floor with a clatter. Her paw touched the anklet he'd been wearing for his mega stone.

It felt so final.

She closed her eyes and looked away. She couldn't bare too look at him lying there on the dark, wet floor.

Her fault.

It was all her fault.

She choked back a sob and picked up the anklet, then limped down the tunnel, following its bend. It seemed to take an eternity. Every step hurt. Every step was putting her further and further away from the first friend she'd ever made.

She'd never cared he was an Absol. The day she found him, he was terrified, running from the massacre of his clan. He thought she'd fear him, but she didn't.

He'd had no name. It had been stripped from him because of some foolish mistake he'd made.

One mistake. And it had cost him his clan.

When she'd asked, he'd answered, _"They call me a harbinger. Does that count?"_

She'd grinned. _"Harbie! I like it!"_

_"__What?! You do know what a harbinger is... right?"_

_"__They foreshadow things."_

_"__Yes. And Absol are accused of foreshadowing disasters."_

_"__Then prove them wrong. Take the name and become a harbinger of good things."_

She groaned and her paw caught against the ground. She tripped, landing face first in the mud, the anklet skittering away into the tunnel.

If she hadn't let revenge get to her head, if she'd just run like he wanted them to, all this would have never happened.

He'd still be alive.

A bell echoed down the tunnel, growing louder as it moved closer to her with each footstep. She looked up to see Enigma standing over her. His expression was unreadable, cast in shadow. She wondered at first if he was actually there. The tunnel was very dark, but he didn't fade away like some hallucination.

No. She hadn't imagined it.

He'd heard everything.

Tears stung her eyes and she pushed herself to her feet. She shook her head and looked away from him.

"I know... you probably have a lot to ask me... you probably _hate_ me... but..." Her voice choked. "I really need my friend right now."

He stared at her for a moment then nodded.

She sobbed loudly and threw herself at him, knocking him backwards onto the floor. She buried her face into his scarf, his familiar spicy scent filling her nose.

"It's my fault!" she sobbed. "It's all my fault!"

His arms fastened tightly around her and she let her tears soak into his scarf. He brushed the back of her head with a paw and she felt her sobs lessen. She closed her eyes and buried her face into his chest.

"Why?" she whispered. "Why couldn't I save him?"

"I know how you feel," he said quietly. "I've been there."

...

**Argh, this chapter makes me cry ='(**

**Please R&amp;R!**


	67. Tension

**A/N - I think this week I'll avoid updating the one-shots until Saturday, since the next one is a little spoilery until chapter 68 is up. Keep an eye open though in case I decide to update it anyway. I don't like straying away from the general update days.**

**I also really need to write more of them. I picked up Super Mystery Dungeon again and have been rather distracted by it...**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

67 – Tension

Enigma winced as pain seared through his shoulder. "Do you mind not being so rough?"

"I'm not." Faith spoke from behind him. She reached over him for a cloth and wiped the mashed berries from her paws. "Are you sure those Noivern weren't fighting over you?"

He snorted and fiddled with the hem of his scarf. "I got caught by a Weavile while chasing after..." He drifted off and his eyes trailed to a room on his right.

Faith followed his gaze and nodded slowly. "You should speak to her."

He snorted again. "I don't think so, Faith."

"She's your friend! And she's devastated right now."

He hugged himself and stared blankly across the room. Since Hope had brought them back here, Harlequin had wandered into that nest, refusing to speak to anyone. Faith alone had managed to drag information out of her.

He'd hung back, watching the others have their wounds tended to, but Faith had been on him as soon as she was finished with Cleo.

He grimaced again as Faith pulled his scarf back down over his back.

"Anyway." He looked back at her over his shoulder. "How come you aren't more scratched up?"

"I'm part steel type. I don't scratch easy."  
He eyed the singes on the ends of the fur hanging down her face. "You look like you got caught in a fire attack."

"I dodged the worse of it."

He chuckled. "You should teach me some of your moves."

"All right." She shifted round to his side and beamed. "After you speak to Harlequin."

He muttered under his breath and stood up.

"I'm not ready for this," he said flatly.

"You can't stay mad at her forever. She's been your friend for years."

"Yes. And she let me believe she was a male the whole time."

"Really?" Faith raised an eyebrow. "I don't think you've been being honest with yourself."  
He stared at her, his red eyes narrowing. The Mawile was showing no sign she didn't believe what she'd just said. She'd been reading Enigma like a book. He'd had his doubts and she knew it.

When Harlequin had been poisoned at the river, he'd wondered if he'd been playing the fool, but instead he'd locked away any doubts he'd had in the back of his mind. He didn't want to believe the Zorua was female, but that didn't make up for the fact she knew full well what he thought and had made no effort to correct him.

If she was really his friend, then why let him believe that?

He bared his teeth and looked away from Faith. "Fine. I'll speak to her."

"Good. She needs you." Faith wiped her paws absently on the sticky cloth. "You know what pain she's going through."

He stared at her again and raised an eyebrow. "She told you, didn't she?"

She looked away from him and he felt the fur on the back of his neck stand on end.

"Well, the difference here is she didn't have feelings for Harbinger." He crossed his arms and looked over at the closed door of Harlequin's room. "Yet she told him faster than she told me."

"Feelings or not, it still hurts, Enigma." She sighed. "Besides. There might be a reason for that."

He frowned. "She's spoken to you about this before hasn't she? How much do you know?"  
She looked back at him and pursed her lips together, winding the cloth tightly around her paw. "I think you should go and speak to her yourself."

He huffed and turned away from her, marching across the grass to the room. The outlaw's hideout was built into a square with a courtyard in the middle. It served as a place to grow their berry orchard behind the protection of the low walls. Most of the trees and bushes were quite young and hadn't grown high enough to be seen over the walls of the building.

There were more Pokemon living here than he'd thought, including that Goodra and her brother. But there were still enough empty rooms should any extra Pokemon join their group.

It was still dark, and the moon cast its light down into the courtyard providing enough for what Pokemon still remained awake. Those who'd had their wounds tended had gone off to their nests. There was every chance Harlequin wasn't even awake.

He stopped in front of the closed door and stared at it. His blood was boiling. Harlequin hadn't outright lied to him, but she knew he thought she was male, and her refusal to correct him bordered on blatant inconsideration.

Why?!

He pushed the door open and there, looking small and helpless in a large nest, was Harlequin.

A female Zorua with blue markings.

The moonlight glistened off the tears on her face, but she wasn't sobbing any more. Maybe she wasn't actually awake? She'd probably cried herself to sleep.

The story he'd heard her tell Harbinger came rushing back, stifling the rage that had been building up inside him. Of course there had to be a reason she'd not said anything. Maybe she was too scared to. If she'd grown up in an environment like that, it was no wonder she'd been so jumpy when he first met her. And that nightmare she'd had... she'd almost bitten him. She'd worried about someone hiding in the water... it was so obvious now. It still haunted her.

If that was the case, then if she was scared of being hurt again then she'd take advantage of those around her thinking she was male and play along with it.

But did she really have any reason to be scared of _him_?  
Did she really think he'd hurt her like that?  
Frightened faces of cowering Pokemon filled his mind. He could almost see his own leering over them as they tried to dodge his claws. He fell back against the door and it closed with an audible slam.

Of course... of course she'd be scared of him.

"Enigma?"

He hadn't been aware he'd been hiding his face behind his paws. He looked over them at her. She'd lifted her head enough to look at him. Her blue eyes glistened in the dim light.

"You hate me," he said.

"What?"

"You're scared of me. That's why you didn't tell me, isn't it?"

"No!"

"You must be! You've seen what life I've led!"

"I met you before we were forced to do assassinations, Enigma." Her voice cracked and she looked away from him. "You don't even do that any more. Like me, you've changed. Even when I thought we were enemies, I knew you'd never hurt me."  
His fur bristled again. "Then what kind of _game_ are you playing?!"

She stared down at the hay, avoiding his eyes. He couldn't tell, but he thought he saw a couple of tears hit the dry hay.

"I can't... do this," he said.

She looked up at him, her blue eyes wide and her jaw dropped. "What?"  
"I can't be around you." He turned his back to her and reached for the handle.

"No! Don't..." Her words were cut off as a sob shook her. "Don't leave me..."  
"I don't _understand_ you!" He clutched the handle of the door until his knuckles turned white beneath his fur. "If you're _not_ scared of me, then what reason did you have to not tell me?!"

He pulled the door open and stormed out onto the grass.

"Enigma, no!" Harlequin wailed and he flinched as he pulled the door closed after him. "I don't want to lose you too!"

It hurt.

"Enigma, please! Don't leave me!"

It really hurt.

He marched over the grass, not even seeing where he was going. A snatch at his paw brought him to a halt and he finally opened his eyes to look back.

Faith's violet gaze locked onto his and he looked down at her paw clutching his wrist.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Leaving."  
"You can't just leave her like that!"

He looked away from her and let the density fall from his paw. "I'm sorry, Faith." It glided effortlessly through her grip as he walked away. "I need some time to think."

She watched him fade away from view as he walked across the orchard. When he was gone, she placed a paw to her chest and looked back at Harlequin's room. The Zorua's cries of despair were muffled only by the closed, wooden door.

...

Yurlik nudged open the double doors and peered inside. The large form of Hydreigon lay curled at the back of the room, but as soon as a trickle of candlelight seeped through the crack one of his red eyes fixed on the Honchkrow.

"Good evening, my lord." Yurlik strutted into the room, leaving the doors ajar. "It's good to see you're looking a little better."  
Hydreigon's lips pulled back from his teeth and he let out a low snarl.

"I've brought Rumble, like you asked."

A Weavile and a Scrafty jerked through the door, dragging a struggling Noivern. His muzzle was crinkled in disgust and his two yellow eyes were so wide open they made the long scar on his face look smaller.

Hydreigon raised his head to look at the panicked Noivern.

"So this is the one who cost us the battle?" he growled.

"I cost you nothing!" Rumble roared, his amplified voice shaking the walls. "Besides, I didn't see that fat Honchkrow fighting for us, did you?!" He fixed his yellow eyes on Yurlik.

Yurlik rustled his feathers. "I was with my flock looking for that cocoon!"  
"Silence!"

Hydreigon's voice reverberated off the walls and all eyes went to the dragon. He'd lowered his head again, but his red eyes were burning with a fierce fury.

"You were stupid enough to use boomburst in the middle of a battlefield! You knocked down a huge number of my troops and let those rebels and Outcasts get away!"  
"They vanished into thin air!" Rumble screamed. "I did nothing wrong!"  
Hydreigon raised his head and Rumble cowered back behind the Scrafty.

"Really?" Hydreigon smirked. "Nothing wrong? Only wiped out half my troops in one foolish move?"

"They got up again."

Hydreigon lay back down and yawned. "Kill him."  
The Weavile and Scrafty gave the Noivern an apologetic look and ushered him from the room. Yurlik puffed out his chest and made to follow them, but no sooner had he reached the door he felt his feathers stand on end.

"Yurlik?"

He looked back at Hydreigon. "Yes, my lord?"

"Have you found that cocoon yet?"

"Oh." He hopped round to face him. "We may have done. We're just excavating what we _think_ might be the cocoon on the Northern isle."  
Hydreigon raised an eyebrow.

Yurlik raised a wing and shook his head. "I didn't want to get your hopes up quite yet. We may be wrong."

A low growl filled the room and Yurlik shuddered from head to foot.

"For your sake," Hydreigon rumbled, "hope you're right."

...

Cleo sat between Mischief and Spark, nibbling away at an assortment of dried meats and a small helping of berries. The conversation at the table was sporadic at best. A lot of the Pokemon gave the Outcasts and Faith curious glances. With them sat Tinker and Starshine, the Sliggoo, a Grovyle who'd introduced herself as Mint, a Vigoroth, Plusle, the Sableye and a pair of Axew. Apparently there were more Pokemon living in this hideout, but a some of them had gone outside to accompany Reshiram who was too tall to enter the building, whereas others stayed hidden in their nests. One of those was Harlequin. The Zorua refused to get up and join them.

She looked out of the window at the Pokemon grouped outside. Reshiram was laughing as he chatted to the other dragons with Hope. A Drapion chuckled beside him and the large dragon struck him playfully on the back with his wing claws.

So Reshiram and Hope were still hanging around. There were so many questions flooding her mind. She hadn't even spoken to Spark about the revelation she had the fairy typing. The Dedenne had seemed shaken up after things began to cool down, and they'd all taken some pretty nasty wounds. It had all gone so fast, the battle seemed almost like a nightmare – hazy, frightening and distorted – and she wasn't even sure if Harlequin's plan had even worked. If it had... why would Reshiram and Hope still be here? Wouldn't they have gone back home?

There was one huge thing looming at the front of her mind, giving her no time to think about anything else. And she felt everyone else was thinking the same thing.

"This war isn't over is it?" she asked.

She could feel Faith staring at her. She looked round at the Mawile. Her face was solemn and her eyes lacked the normal cheerful sparkle she often had behind them.

"Enigma told me Harlequin's bag was taken. Apparently she had an anti-venom to the Nidoking poison in there."

"She told us she didn't have one," said Spark.

"Enigma wouldn't go into detail, but apparently she acquired it recently."

Cleo looked back out of the window. "Where is Enigma?"

"Probably with Harlequin," said Spark over her berry.

"He's not." said Faith. "He's not been seen since last night." She looked over at the window. "I'm a little concerned he might have left Hope's barrier."

The Grovyle snorted and flicked a berry stone across the table. "Good riddance if he has! He has some nerve showing up here anyway."

"I'm with Mint," said Tinker. "I thought that ghost was dead anyway."  
"Oh don't be like that!" said Faith. "He's changed now."

Mint leered at her. "Change doesn't bring Rio back."  
Cleo raised an eyebrow. "Rio? Isn't that the Meowstic from the lab?"

Faith nodded slowly, her face sombre. "I'm sorry for what he did, Mint. His actions were definitely not just, but neither were Rio's."  
Mint crossed her arms and leant back in her chair. "No. Rio was a complete nut case, but still, I..." She trailed off and shook her head.

The Vigoroth reached over to pat her on the back, and he looked over at Faith. "If it's any reassurance, Rowap claims to 'ave heard his bell on the roof this mornin'. Chilled him to the core n'all, right bud?"

The Plusle looked up at them out of the corner of his eye and nodded.

"Well that's reassuring," said Faith. "But I think we all need to put our differences aside! I think this group alone proves that so many of us are on the same side, regardless of appearances or past histories." She aimed the last statement at the Grovyle.

The slender Pokemon sank down in her seat and looked away from her sharply, her long leaf flicking round and almost catching the Sliggoo.

"I agree with Faith," said Cleo. "Let's face it. Here we not only have three members from the Fairy Garden, we have three of Hydreigon's former aces – Enigma, Harlequin and Ripwing – who have all rebelled along with four other dragons including Starshine. We have Outcasts and former Heretics as well. We all have the same goal in mind. We all want to see Hydreigon knocked off his throne and bring an end to the Shadow Lands. Can't we all just set our pasts and differences aside to get along and work together?"

They all stared at Cleo, and Tinker looked over at Faith then sat back in his chair and sighed.

"Yes. I think we can, Cleo." He stared pointedly at Mint.

The Grovyle closed her eyes and frowned. "Fine. But I'm also holding you responsible for Rio's death, Faith." She cast the Mawile a leer out of the corner of her eye.

Faith gasped. "Why is it _my_ fault?"

"_You_ let Enigma out of his cage."

Tinker frowned and shook his head. "I told you this Mawile is trouble."

"Hang on!" Faith stood up and placed her paws on the table. "I only let him out because you had him locked up. And not only that, you infected him with Pokerus!"

Mint bristled. "Yes! And now he's a ticking time-bomb of madness! And he's lurking in this hideout!"

"Wait!" Mischief leapt to his feet. His orange eyes were livid and locked on the Grovyle. "_You_ gave him Pokerus?"

Mint stared back at him silently. At some point during their outburst, the two Axew and the Sliggoo had slipped out of the dining hall, leaving just the Outcasts, Faith and the former Heretics. Mint gave Mischief a small smile and shrugged.

"_I _didn't. It was Rio's stupid idea."

"Well he doesn't have it any more," said Mischief.

The Grovyle raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Mischief struck a paw to his chest. "I, however, do." He moved around the table towards her and she stood up to back away from him. When he reached the end of his tether, he jerked to a stop but didn't take his eyes off the Grovyle. "You might blame Enigma and Faith for Rio's death, but it's _your_ fault my life has been destroyed! I have to wear this stupid collar because of you! I killed one of my friends!"  
"What? You think that's my fault?!" The Grovyle shook her head in disbelief. "I didn't cultivate the wretched thing!"  
"What's going on in here?" Ripwing poked his head through the door and looked at each of them in turn, his eyes wide with surprise.

The Grovyle pointed at him. "It's _him_ you need to speak to. Not me."

All eyes went to the Salamence. Mischief stood breathing heavily as he met the dragon's eyes.

A look of recognition crossed Ripwing's face and he let out a grunt of acknowledgement before backing out of the room. "I think I know what this is about. Come with me."

Mischief didn't take his eyes off the dragon as he worked his way back around the table. Cleo stood up to follow him, Faith and Spark sticking close to her. She'd never seen Mischief act out of anger before. She didn't think he would have hurt the Grovyle, but she couldn't help wondering what would have happened if he hadn't been restrained.

Ripwing led them across the orchard and through another door. This one led into a small corridor that ended in a large room filled with files. In one corner stood a piece of intricate lab equipment Cleo couldn't even begin to work out. It was formed of glass tubes set in a metal frame, and one end looked like it was meant to be lit with a flame.

Mischief was staring around the room with a combination of curiosity and disgust.

Ripwing looked down at him. "If you're wondering where that Pokerus came from, it's here."

"Yup!" Mint appeared in the doorway and leant against it with her arms crossed. "Before you start pointing claws, you should hear the full story."

"Full story?" Cleo looked from Mint to Ripwing. "You created a monster parasite in this lab! And it's out there... infecting possibly hundreds of Pokemon!" She looked over at Mischief and her heart sank.

He had his paws balled into fists, but he wasn't looking at any of them any more. Instead he was staring at the floor as though he couldn't even stand to be in the room.

"I think the only reassurance we have is it's not contagious," she said quietly. "Once those who have it die, it'll go away with them."

Ripwing sighed and placed a paw on the desk. His claws rustled the notes strewn across it.

"If only that were true."  
"What?" said both Cleo and Spark as the Dedenne poked her head out of her fur.

"It's contagious?!" Spark added.

"It's mutating further," Ripwing explained. "Quite on its own. You see – that madness is actually an effect of the parasite trying to pass itself on." Cleo's frown prompted him to explain further. "I'll start at the beginning shall I?" He cleared his throat and released the desk, dropping back down onto all-fours. "It all started with an Oddish. We found this egg amongst a small berry bush and hatched it, believing it might be an abandoned dragon Pokemon. However, it turned out to be an Oddish. We didn't feel it safe to keep it here, but we were surprised at how fast she was developing. Her strength far surpassed that of another her age. So we sent her to join our other lab down in the Moorland's Forest. One you will be familiar with.

"We received reports back that it kept developing further, but the Pokerus didn't spread and eventually the effects wore off. It might surprise you to know that by the time we received that news, we already knew about it.

"The berry plant the egg had been resting under was contaminated with this parasite. We'd harvested some of the berries ourselves, since or orchard at the time was quite young. I myself contracted that strain of Pokerus along with the rest of my group, so we set about examining what was on the berries. We thought if we could make it contagious, and permanent, we might be able to increase our strengths as our numbers increased, and not only ours but all Pokemon outside the Shadow Lands. We might stand a chance of winning this war. When we got news from Rio about the progress of the Oddish, we took our plan into action. We sent him a modified version of the parasite and an outline of our plan.

"That strain brutally failed. It reacted badly with its host and the host killed themself in a fit of madness. We tried again, trying for something closer to the original strain. When Rio got his paws on it, he told us it was successful. It wasn't until Mint joined us that we found out how exactly this mutant strain reacted. Reducing the host to a permanent state of madness, completely at the mercy of the parasite's control.

"By this stage, it was too late. What was left of our sample had mutated so much so that it no longer resembles what it did before. It's desperately trying to evolve enough to multiply and spread itself on. As you know, Pokerus is passed on via contact. This parasite wants that contact. As such, it takes over the brain and turns the host into nothing more than a means of transportation. When it reaches the right state to become contagious, any Pokemon in contact with one infected will be subject to the same fate. Madness."

Cleo stared at the floor. It was too much to take in. The room had fallen into silence as everyone tried to absorb the information. If it was trying to mutate... did that mean there was no hope to get rid of this parasite?

"So..." Cleo looked up slowly. "What are you going to do?"

Ripwing looked down at her. "We're trying to get the original strain back. Sadly we have no more samples left, but I think all of you are aware that originally, when Pokerus would just move on harmlessly, no Pokemon could contract the parasite twice."

Cleo felt a small jolt in her chest.

"That's true," said Faith. "But it's a different mutation now."

"Even so, I've tried to give it to myself," said Ripwing. "It wont take hold. I couldn't be a test subject for this parasite, as much as I'd like to. I'm wanting to save lives here. Lives like yours, Mischief."

Mischief looked up at him. The fire of rage had gone from his eyes, and now he just looked completely perplexed.

"The hope here is," said Ripwing, "if we can get the original back, then we can offer a vaccination."

"What about a cure?" Mischief asked.

"We're working on that too. We've stumbled across a venom that kills the parasite, but it also harms the host in high doses. As you know, there is a poison Pokemon living in our hideout. A Drapion named Sniper. He kindly offered to be a host for the Pokerus, but it didn't take. It turns out the poison of a Drapion kills off the parasite instantly."

"So that's the cure?" Mischief gasped. "It will get rid of it?!"

"Sadly, no." Ripwing shook his head sadly. "Like I said. It kills the host in high doses. In small amounts, all it does is slow the growth of the parasite."

Cleo frowned. "How do you know that? If the Drapion couldn't be infected-?"

Ripwing's eyes trailed to the door.

They looked around at Mint. She stared at each of them fixedly.

"That's right," she said. "I have it." She shrugged. "I offered. I wanted to find a way to stop this thing, and like your friend here, I too am a ticking time bomb."

Mischief's face fell. "It's really permanent?"

"Sadly. I'm pretty adamant to find a cure myself."

"You said... I'll go completely mad?" He looked up at Ripwing. "When?"

"How long have you had it?" the Salamence asked.

Mischief shrugged. "I don't know."

"He had it when we found him during the cooling season," said Cleo.

Ripwing's face became solemn and Cleo felt her heart sink again. She could tell he wasn't going to give them good news.

"I've started feeling dizzy," Mischief explained. "Especially when I fight or get upset."

"'Started'?" Ripwing raised an eyebrow. "Dizziness was the first thing Mint reported."

Mint grunted. "Rio would have wiped his memories. Since he wouldn't know what 'normal' felt like, he probably thought nothing of it." She sniffed and stared at the Whimsicott. "I'd say if he's noticing it now, it's pretty advanced."

"Give me the antidote."

Ripwing stared down at Mischief, along with everyone else. The Whimsicott stared blankly at the window, his body rigid and his paws clenched tightly into fists.

"I explained it wouldn't cure you," said Ripwing.

"But it slows it. Right?" Mischief looked up at him. "If there's a chance I can keep going on long enough to fight this war, I might be able to help you look for a cure when it's over."

Ripwing returned his stare and finally let out a breath and nodded. "Very well." He reached into the desk drawer and pulled out a small vial. "Take no more than two drops."

"Fine." Mischief took the vial and stared at it. A strange liquid sloshed inside it, a yellow-green hue that looked so putrid it turned Cleo's stomach. "Two drops. How often?"

"Once a day. The same time is preferable, or you'll overdose and the results wont be pretty."

Mischief moved from the room and Cleo stared after him. Her heart was suddenly hammering in her chest. Would he be all right? She grimaced and looked away.

"I must warn you," said Ripwing, "that the poison will have some effect on you. You'll likely get stomach cramps and nausea. It's only temporary and will wear off provided you don't take too much."  
Mischief faltered in the corridor as he reached the end of his tether. He pawed at his neck and looked back at Cleo.

"If Ripwing's right, I don't want you to see me like that," he said. "Could you release me for a while? I'll lock myself in your room."

Cleo fumbled with her bracelet, turning it around on her wrist. There was little risk of a battle here. They were safe. And if he stayed in that room, things should be fine.

It was justified. She didn't want to see him suffering either.

She gave a nod and pulled it open. Instantly, she felt the tug on it drop.

"Thank you." Mischief turned away from her and vanished around the corner out of sight.

"Will he be all right?" Faith asked the Salamence.

"Two drops is how much Mint takes," Ripwing explained. "It's a appropriate amount for a Pokemon weak to poison like the grass type. A Pokemon without that weakness, or a resistance, could take around three or four drops without any adverse effects."  
Faith's jaw dropped and she looked back into the tunnel. "But... he's not just a grass Pokemon. He's part fairy too!"  
Ripwing made a small exclamation of surprise and Mint stared at her with a frown.

"Fairy?" she asked. "That new type has a weakness?"

Faith stared open-mouthed at her paws. She looked back up at Ripwing. "How much would you suggest someone take if they were _very _weak to poison?"

Ripwing grimaced and his eyes flitted from side to side. "Honestly? I don't know … I think it'd be safest to err on the side of none."

Cleo felt her stomach lurch. She turned and bolted from the room, winding down the corridors after Mischief.

Hopefully she wouldn't be too late.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	68. The Calm Before the Storm

**A/N - Happy New Year everyone! =D Thanks again to all who review, fave, follow or even just lurk reading quietly! You're all awesome!**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

68 – The Calm Before the Storm

There was no sign of Mischief in the internal corridors. Cleo's heart was pounding as she searched left and right. He'd gone to her room... but the building wasn't that small. A growing dread spread through her as she realised he must have cut through the orchard. It wasn't a path she thought he'd take since he wasn't confined any more.

She was probably too late now.

By the time she reached her room she was gasping for breath. She grabbed hold of the door and threw it open.

Mischief lay sprawled on the floor, his paws clutching his stomach. His body convulsed and he screamed, curling into a tight ball.

She dived to his side and placed her paw on his shoulder.

"Spark? Go get Faith!"

The Dedenne hopped off her shoulder. "Okay. But just a head's up he's been sick, all right?" She skipped out of the room on all-fours.

Cleo looked over at the hay. A damp patch spread across it. She felt a flood of relief through her body. Good, he had been sick. That meant there should be less toxins in his system.

He jolted again and groaned. Cleo looked over him towards the discarded vial. Yes... he may have brought it up again, but what if he'd tried to replace it?

She dragged him into a sitting position and he whined in protest. She let him rest against her and reached into her bag.

"Eat this." She stuffed a pecha berry into his paws but he pushed it away. "Mischief, please! You shouldn't even have taken that stuff!"  
"I don't... want to be a monster." He grimaced and doubled over, hugging his paws to his stomach.

She shook her head. "You won't be _anything_ if you don't take this berry. _Please_."  
Those words seemed to stir something in him. He took the berry from her and bit into it. Convulsions took over him again and he fell forwards. Cleo couldn't watch. She looked away from him and closed her eyes, pressing her paws hard over her ears. It wasn't enough to drown out the screaming and wailing. She found herself curling up into a ball herself.

It was too much.

When the wailing finally stopped she waited a while before cracking an eye open. He was lay breathing heavily with his paw stuffed into his mouth. The berry was gone. Another wave of relief flooded through her and she pushed herself back up.

"How is he?"

Faith ran through the door with Spark on her heel. She dropped to Mischief's side and quickly checked over him.

"I don't know," said Cleo. "I managed to get him to eat a pecha berry."

"I can see that. That's good." She pulled him up and let him lean on her shoulder. "We should get him somewhere more comfortable."

"I'd avoid the hay," said Spark.

Faith looked over at the hay pile and nodded. "I'll see if they have a fresh supply. I won't be long." She lay her paw on Cleo's shoulder then moved from the room.

Spark looked up at Cleo and twitched her nose. "Do you have any more berries?"

Cleo stared down at her and raised an eyebrow.

"For him," the Dedenne said. "Not me."  
Cleo shook her head and looked out of the door.

"I'll go get you some." She watched Spark skip from the room.

It felt a lot quieter now. So much so it was deafening. The chatter of the Pokemon outside in the orchard had faded away. All she could hear was Mischief's breathing and the hum of power in her ears.

She also felt cold.

The whole thing had shocked her. Even though Ripwing had told them the possible side effects of the poison, she hadn't expected that.

She wrapped her paws around her knee and leant her head on them, taking a deep breath as she let the silence wash over her.

She didn't know what she'd expected.

"Cleo?"  
Her ears twitched and she turned her head to look at Mischief out of the corner of her eye. He was sat limply against the wall, one arm resting on his knee while the other paw flopped on the floor.

"I'm sorry."

Cleo looked away from him. "For what? Trying to cure yourself?"

He let out a long sigh. "I just want this to go away."  
"It will." She scooted across the floor towards him and joined him against the wall. "When we go back to the Fairy Garden, we'll ask Xerneas to cure you like he did Enigma."

"I know." He trailed a paw over the dirt. "But... I want to be sane when I enter the Fairy Garden again. I don't want to be a risk to anyone."  
"You won't be. We'll get you there."

"I keep asking myself why I still have it," he went on. "I thought it was supposed to be my greatest strength and weakness, but I've realised it's not. That's not what he meant. He meant you... And Spark. And Faith. Everyone." He fidgeted his paws together. "You see... I know I'm strong enough to protect you, but I'm also dangerous enough to hurt you. That's the weakness. I'm too scared that anything bad might happen to you, and even more so that I might be the reason. I've already killed one of my friends... It destroyed me. I thought I was nothing more than a monster." He paused and looked up at her. "I have to trust that... you won't let that happen."

He met her eyes and she felt her heart do a flip. His eyes were warm and inviting. She had to tear herself away and look down at her paws.

"I won't." Her voice cracked slightly and she wound her paws together.

He nodded and leant into her, resting his head on her shoulder. His fluffy, white fur tickled her nose and that smell of pollen rose from his body. His body began to shake as though a sudden cold had come over him. She reached across and took his paw in hers. It was still warm, and he gave hers a squeeze as he shifted against her.

"I love you, Cleo."  
Her body jolted and she looked down at him. He tightened his grip on her paw as his breath came in shaky bursts.

"I don't know when it started. All I know is I do, and it frightens me."  
She opened her mouth but no words came out. Frightened? She looked away from him and fixed her eyes on the bare wall.

"Please put that bracelet back on." His words seemed to cut her.

She released his paw and it fell limply on his lap. The bracelet felt so cold in comparison. She fastened it around her wrist and the snap seemed to echo around the room. When she looked back down at him, he wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Do you want me to go?" she asked.

He nodded and hugged his knees to his chest.

She blinked back tears and turned towards the door. She clutched her paw to her chest and looked down at the bracelet. "I can't go very far."

He was silent but she couldn't look back at him. She bit her lip and pulled the door open. Before she could step outside, his voice froze her in the doorway.

"He said the parasite wants contact."  
She stared down at her paw resting on the handle. Her heart almost stopped. Contact...

"I thought they were my own feelings. But what if this is just another way it tries to get it?" He paused. "I really don't want to hurt you."

She let the door close behind her and leant back on it, covering her face with her paws. That time in the forest when she thought he'd come back to her... it all made so much sense.

It wasn't him at all.

...

Fluffy clouds rolled across the sky, the sun periodically showing through them to let its warm rays pour into the orchard. Voices rose up from the ground below as Reshiram tried to gather everyone together.

Enigma looked down into the orchard. The white dragon was stood in the centre of it, waiting patiently as Hope and Faith went knocking on all the doors.

"Are you all right, Cleo?" Hope asked the Meowstic.

Cleo shrugged. "I can't really move from here."  
"Well, we need Mischief too. Can you bring him?"

Cleo looked back at the door and shrugged again. She didn't say anything, but from the look on Hope's face he could tell whatever had happened that morning was worrisome.

The Gardevoir looked around the orchard at the gathering of Pokemon.

"Well, you have a little time," she said. "At least until we find Enigma. Faith, how are you getting on with Harlequin?"  
"She won't speak to me." He couldn't see the Mawile from where he was lay, but she sounded rejected.

He raised an arm to rub a paw across his face, but the sun glinted off the bracelets and he paused, staring at them.

Two of them. One to activate the Absolite, the other for his own mega stone.

He'd retrieved it when Harlequin had dropped it in the tunnel. She'd been so devastated he wasn't sure how aware she was that she'd even been carrying it. She'd fallen face down in the dirt and it had rolled away to bounce into his foot.

Devastated.

He didn't know if she'd had feelings for Harbinger or not, all he knew was when he was in her situation, she'd been there. She hadn't shouted at him. She hadn't stormed off.

But he'd deserved it.

She'd put their argument aside and stood by him.

And neither of them had mentioned it again since.

Pokemon ran back and forth on the ground, trying to rally everyone together. He rubbed his paws over his face and groaned. Sooner or later there was going to be a massive battle. Was now really the time to be acting like a coward?

He pushed himself up and looked down at the orchard below. He couldn't see Faith anywhere, but Hope was still stood talking to Cleo. He warped to the ground, landing invisible before Harlequin's door. He slipped through and there was Faith, crouched over to her and talking in a reassuring whisper. The both of them froze as his bell rang into the room and they looked over at the door.

He let himself materialise and placed a paw on the Mawile's shoulder. She looked up at him and opened her mouth to say something, but instead her eyes widened at his stern expression. She nodded her understanding and backed out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Enigma looked down at Harlequin. She lay staring up at him as though not entirely convinced he was there and was trying to process the situation. He looked away from her, flexed his claws and let out a long sigh.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have stormed off like that."

She closed her eyes and wiped a paw across them. "No... but it's my fault."  
"How's it your fault?"  
"I should have told you."  
He shrugged. "I should have took it better. Especially since... well, I've had my doubts." When she didn't say anything, he looked back down at her. She was staring blankly at the door, fresh tears glistening in her eyes. "Why _didn't _you tell me?"

She closed her eyes tight and curled her paw into the hay. Enigma let out a breath and knelt down next to her, placing a paw on her shoulder. He looked up at the wall and shook his head.

"I'm not good at this kind of thing, Harle."

She choked back a small sob and pushed herself up, placing a paw on his shoulder. She let her weight go, and he lost his balance, falling sideways onto the floor with a grunt of surprise. He was bowled over onto his back, and he found himself lying sprawled on the ground with her head resting on his chest. Her paw wound itself into his scarf and she took a deep, steadying breath as she tried to stifle any more tears.

He chuckled drily as he pressed the back of his paw across his eyes, and let the other one rest back on her shoulder.

"It's a girl thing, huh?"

She shook her head and buried her nose into his scarf. "I _wanted _to tell you." Her voice was muffled slightly by the fabric. "But I couldn't."  
"They didn't want female assassins any more. Is that the reason? Were you scared of what might happen?"  
"I thought about it. That maybe I might get away. But if the poison Pokemon didn't stand a chance, then what chance did I have?" She took in a wobbly breath. "That's not the reason, though. I wanted to tell _you_. I knew you wouldn't say anything."  
She went silent and he removed his paw from his eyes to look at her. He couldn't see her face, but her ear twitched and she flinched further into his scarf.

"It was easier to explain in my mind..."  
Enigma looked over at the door. "Well, you can tell me later if you want? They're waiting for us out there."

Her claws dug into his chest and he flinched.

"No," she said. "No, I... I need to tell you this."  
He reached over to prize her claws free. Her paw seemed so small compared to his. Everything about her seemed smaller now...

"If there's going to be a massive battle," she went on, "I don't want to leave things up in the air."

"Harle..." He stared at her paw resting in his claws. "Were you using your illusion to make yourself look male?"

"What? No!" She pulled her paw from his grip and curled into herself. "I never lied to you! I just never corrected you! Let me explain, _please_!"

"Okay." He fasted his arms around her and her paw flopped back onto his chest. "I'm sorry."  
She took in a couple of shaky breaths to steady herself. "I saw what happened to you. You were so devastated after you lost Kera."

His paw wound into her fur and he stared blankly at the ceiling. Kera... that awful incident wasn't something he ever liked to talk about. Or think about.

"I couldn't bare to tell you I was female. I didn't want either of us to ever experience that kind of pain again." She dug her claws into his scarf. "Letting you think I was male was the only option I had to keep a barrier between us."

"Why would you need to keep a barrier between us?" He looked down at her and she flinched away from him, her claws digging back into his chest again. A daunting realisation fell over him, making his insides feel like lead. "Wait..." He shook his head in disbelief, and his paw fell away from her to land across his eyes as he let out a sigh. "You have feelings for me..."

Her body tensed and she gave a small whine. "If it's any consolation, I don't want them."  
He rubbed his eyes with the back of his paw. "I don't know about this, Harle."

She huddled into him with a whimper.

"Everything's suddenly... changed," he said.

"It's _not_ changed! I'm still _Harlequin_! I'm still the same Zorua you've been friends with for eight years!"

"Yes. And I believed you were a dude for all of them."  
Her body shook with sobs as she clutched onto his scarf.

He pushed himself up, still holding on to her to stop her from falling onto the floor. "Listen." He placed a paw on her cheek and turned her face to look at him. "Let's start over."  
She pulled away from him and shook her head. "We don't need to. I've not changed."

He sat back on one paw and stared at her. Not changed? She certainly seemed different. Smaller... daintier... or maybe he was just seeing what had always been there.

"Nothing's changed about me at all," she said. "All that's changed is you know the truth now. I don't want anything different. All I want is for you to still be my friend. But you're right." She looked up at him and pushed herself to her feet. "Maybe we do need to start over. That way, you'll notice that."

He continued to stare at her, but this time she wasn't looking away from him. Her face was still wet with tears, but she wore such a determined expression. He gave a curt nod and stood up.

"All right then. Fresh start it is." He moved over to the door and opened it, then looked back at her. "Come on. We've got a meeting to go to."

...

They were all gathered around the empty dining table. Voices mashed together as everyone tried to discuss what might happen. Cleo kept drifting in and out of the mumbled, semi-incoherent debate, her mind a reeling mess. Mischief sat silently next to her, hunched over the table with his head on his paws. It wasn't until Enigma strode into the room with Harlequin that Reshiram poked his torso back through the window, slammed his paw against the table and brought the chaos to an abrupt end.

"We're all here now," he said. "I think we can discuss this at length, in an orderly fashion. I know you all have your concerns. We all do. But there's something bigger going on here than just a simple war started by a power-hungry dragon."

"That's why you're 'ere, ain't it?" the Vigoroth asked. "I'd never seen a Reshiram before, 'n' suddenly one drops in with a member of an extinct species?" He fired a glance at Hope.

"Oh, Gardevior are not extinct, Tantrum," said Hope. "Right now, Kirlia and Gardevoir are assisting Xerneas in gathering an army together. I came here because I'd heard what Harlequin was up to." She looked over at the Zorua.

Harlequin looked away from her and gazed out of the window.

Tantrum grunted. "We've 'eard a lot about this Xerneas. But not a whole lot about what's goin' on!"

The rest of the table chimed in their opinions with nods and Reshiram brought them to silence with another thud of the table. He opened his mouth to speak, but Tinker stood up so quickly he caused Starshine to let out a small squeak of surprise.

"I've had enough of this!" he barked. "I arrived here looking for help, since we were chased out of our home. This war has been going on for almost a decade! Why would you show up now?!"

Reshiram fixed his blue eyes on the seething Riolu. "Because this world is in such a state, it's come to it."

Tinker stood breathing heavily, his canines bared and his red eyes locked on the dragon's. Hope looked at him and drew his attention.

"You see, everyone seems to have forgotten the fairy type even existed. Four of us are even sat in this room. Faith, Mischief, Spark and myself."

"Spark?" Tinker's eyes widened and he looked over at the Dedenne.

Spark blinked a couple of times and twitched her whiskers. "Oh yeh. Man, so much has happened I kinda forgot!"

Faith chuckled and placed a paw on her back.

"Starshine as well," said Hope. "His mega evolution allows him to take on the fairy type. It works much the same as mine. Yet all of you here had never even heard of it. Would it come as a surprise to you, Ripwing, or you, Jitters, that you both have mega evolutions?"

The Salamence and Sableye exchanged surprised glances.

"It's not just you two either," she went on. "There are a couple more in this room who can mega evolve when they reach their final evolutions."

Mint and Tantrum pointed at each other, then looked around the room at their allies, glancing over at Tinker and Harlequin.

"But anyway," said Reshiram. "Mega evolution aside, the pressing matter at hand here is that Hydreigon is trying to obtain a dangerous power. There was once a Pokemon called Yveltal who, like Hydreigon, wanted dominion of the world and went at great lengths to get it. He was pure evil. Blood red with a body black like shadow, and he sucked the life out of everything around him. Everything that lived fled from him. He only wanted dark Pokemon in his ranks, and amongst them were some dragons, mainly those who could fly. He brutally killed Pokemon left and right, any that didn't fit into his warped criteria.

"This angered Xerneas. Unlike Yveltal, Xerneas brings life. He fought against the wretched bird and now he lies locked in a cocoon, never to be released. But Hydreigon is trying to find that cocoon to release Yveltal and control him.

"What we need to do is to get to that cocoon first and stop him."

"And how do you suggest we do that?" Enigma asked. "None of us even know where it is."  
"It's location is secret," said Hope. "But the fact is, Hydreigon is close to finding it."

Cleo stared at her paws. Something about Reshiram's speech had unsettled her. Blood red... body like shadow...

Everything that lived fled from him...

A blood red sky... darkness...

Even the rivers flow away from the Shadow Lands.

_'It's either obey, run for your life, or die!'_

"It's in the Shadow Lands."

Her voice even startled herself. All eyes locked onto her, but Hope, Faith and Reshiram were the only two who didn't seem surprised at her outburst.

"What makes you say that?" Tinker asked.

"When the sun sets, the sky is always red over the Shadow Lands," she said. "Not only that, nothing wants to be there, so much so it seems even the rivers don't. Harlequin told me that much. They want to flee, but are too scared to."

Tinker frowned. "I think you're over-thinking this."

"No," said Reshiram. "She's not wrong. It's in the northern isle, buried under a thick sheet of ice."

"And that is where we'll be headed when the sun rises," said Hope. "All of us. Every Pokemon across the region that is recruited into Xerneas's army will be heading that way to stop them excavating the cocoon."

Tinker roared and thumped the table with both fists. "I don't understand! Lives have been lost because of that wretched cocoon! Why wasn't he destroyed in that massive war?!"  
"Because the war was never over," said Reshiram.

Tinker stared at him, his chest heaving.

Cleo looked from Tinker to the white dragon, much like everyone else was doing. Never over?

"Many if not all of you here have lost loved ones," said Hope.

Mint looked away from them. "Yeh. We lost three of our members on the journey over here. You're not alone, Tinker."

Rowap the Plusle cowered in his seat, blinking back tears from his eyes. Tantrum placed a paw on his shoulder.

"This war has been going on for many many years," Reshiram explained. "You're all still fighting it."

A silence washed over the table. Tinker stared, dumbfounded, at the white dragon, his mouth hanging open. He dragged his paw across the table and looked down at it.

"Well... if the fairy type and Xerneas are being forgotten about... I have to say things look pretty bleak for you."

"What do you mean?" asked Faith.

He snorted. "If he's been forgotten about, then isn't your army rather small?"

Hope, Faith and Reshiram beamed.

"Not at all," said Hope.

Tinker looked up at her, and she returned his stare with a warm smile.

"There are two sides to this war – the Darkness, and those who hate the Darkness. Which side are you fighting on?"

Tinker didn't answer, but he couldn't look at Hope. She moved around the table and placed a paw on his shoulder.

"Because those who are fighting against the Darkness are in Xerneas's army."

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D**


	69. The End?

**A/N - Sorry there's been no one-shot this week. The next one will be up on Wednesday.**

**After this chapter, it's just one more and this epic story will be drawn to a close! (With one-shots uploaded weekly to tie in with it! I think there's about four or five more of those to go up.)**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

69 – The End?

Cleo looked around at the table. Hope's words had struck a chord with each Pokemon there. All of them wore different expressions – shocked, amazed, confused. All of them were in the same army. An army lead by Xerneas, and their goal was to overthrow Hydreigon and stop this cocoon from being opened.

The whole table had been shocked into silence. Not one Pokemon raised a comment to challenge the Gardevoir. Faith, Hope and Reshiram waited patiently for someone to say something. Questions were plain on many faces, and the first one to speak up in a quiet voice was Tinker. His comment was plain, simple, and to the point.

"How do we get there?"

Hope inclined her head on one side and stared at him.

"Do we teleport?" he asked. "Fly? What?"  
"Teleporting would be a little risky," said Hope. "There's no saying we wont land in the thick of the enemy."

"Well this region is massive," he said. "How is this large army being gathered across the region all going to get there at the same time?"  
"Communication," said Hope. "There are Kirlia and Gardevoir visiting the cities and Pokemon that have at least one amongst them that knows of the Fairy Garden. The armies will be teleported from town to town, gathering their numbers until finally we'll all be flown to the northern isle. There are many Pokemon that can fly. Four of them are here already."

Tinker put his paws on the table and stood up. "I'm not satisfied. I need some air. Excuse me."

He turned and walked out into the orchard.

Cleo stared after him, her heart heavy. Not satisfied? Hope couldn't have given a clearer answer.

"He's taken things badly since the day I met him," said Faith sadly. "It makes me wonder what's happened to him."  
"Simple." Mint crossed her arms and gave the Mawile a sideways glance. "He's suffered like all of us."

"Anyway..." Hope placed a paw to her chest and looked back at the table. "Now is just a waiting game. Any time today, we'll be prompted to -"

"Erm..." Tinker opened the door and looked at each of them. His body was visibly shaking and his eyes were wide as the left one flitted around the room.

Starshine looked back at him and his beak parted as he looked him up and down. "Dad?"

"You might want to see this..." He looked up at the sky.

Chairs scraped across the floor as the Pokemon rose from their seats and slipped out through the wide door. All eyes went up to the canopy.

The sky was black with the bodies of hundreds of Murkrow as they flew silently through the sky. The air was filled with the beating of wings and the occasional black feather floated down through the trees. Some of them were carrying Sneasel on their backs. The branches of the trees swayed uneasily as Weavile hopped along the branches, trying to keep up with the flock of oily-black birds.

"Good grief!" Spark squeaked. "What's going on?"  
Cleo looked up at the Gardevoir. She stood staring at the Murkrow flock with a paw clasped over her mouth. Cleo felt her stomach turn and she looked back up at the sky. She'd never seen Murkrow behave this way. They seemed focused on returning to the Shadow Lands, and never once had she seen one carrying another Pokemon never mind an army of Sneasel. It felt bad. Very bad.

A strange sucking noise drew their attention to the centre of the clearing. The air warped and shifted and a lone Kirlia stood in the centre of it, a haze fading from their body. He looked up at Hope and gave a single nod.

"They found it."

Hope's eyes slowly widened.

"We need to head over there fast," he said.

"To the northern isle?" Hope asked.

"No. They're already carrying it over the sea. We're heading them off at the Shadow Mountains."  
Reshiram's eyes narrowed and he moved into the centre of the clearing.

"All right, everyone find your wings," he said. "We need to fly out now."  
"You'll be first there," the Kirlia explained. "Since this place has a shield over it, it's a safe place to teleport. I'll send message back and everyone will gather here. They won't be far behind you."

Reshiram nodded and looked back at the others. The normal jovial and friendly look behind his blue eyes had hardened. Things had changed. This wasn't just a matter of 'live your lives' any more. They were about to enter an all-out battle.

Cleo's heart began to race and she felt Spark shudder on her shoulder. She looked round at their new allies and all of them seemed at a loss for what to do. Tinker had thrown himself onto Starshine's back, but everyone else was exchanging frightened glances, their voices slowly filling the clearing. The Plusle backed into the hideout with the Goodra and Drapion cowering over him, and Mint muttered to herself as she watched the end of the Murkrow flock vanish over the canopy.

"Listen," said Reshiram. "I understand you're scared but we have a battle to fight. If you are big enough to carry another Pokemon and have wings, do it. We need to leave now." He lowered himself to the ground and stared at the frightened Pokemon. "I can carry four or five of you."

Cleo gave another look over the nervous group. It would take more than Tinker mounting Starshine to motivate them, and Reshiram's speech didn't seem to be doing much. She moved over to the large white dragon and clambered onto his back. Mischief and Faith settled into place behind her.

The Sableye looked from Reshiram to the Flygon and climbed onto his back, and the large, insect-like dragon looked back at the hideout.

"I'll carry you," he buzzed to the Drapion.

The crowd moved into action as the Pokemon gathered themselves onto Ripwing and Mossfly.

Reshiram looked back at his passengers as the Goodra climbed up behind Faith.

"I'm sorry..." she avoided eye contact with Reshiram. "We shouldn't have given you away -"

Faith raised a paw and cut her off with a smile. "It's fine. We're friends."  
The Goodra smiled uneasily.

"What's your name, Goodra?" Reshiram asked.

"I-it's Slip."

"Then do your best, Slip." Reshiram looked up at the canopy. "Because we're about to enter a battle like you've never fought before."

He flapped his wings and rose into the sky. Cleo felt the air thicken then melt around her as they left the shield. A cold dread washed over her and she could see the Murkrow flock in the distance. Beyond them, the sky was dyed a bloody red against a black backdrop.

Red...

And it wasn't even noon.

...

A stream of fire flew from Reshiram's mouth, blowing back the ice thrown up from the Weavile. It struck them square on and they fell from the branches, clearing the way for Ripwing and Mossfly to soar along after him. Starshine's white fluffy wings blinked in and out of Cleo's peripheral vision as the Altaria flew gracefully alongside them. He let out a loud scream, sending a small number of Noibat back into the woods where they came from.

This part of the Border Woods had lost its name as it cut through the Shadow Lands. On its right, small in the distance, stood the castle Hydreigon resided in. The Shadow Lands were oddly empty. During their battles through the Border Woods, word had spread that an army was on its way. Most of the Pokemon had made their way over to the Shadow Mountains, accompanying Hydreigon as he tried to beat them to the cocoon. Any that were left were left simply to fight and keep the army away.

Reshiram swerved to avoid a dragon pulse fired from a Noivern as it launched out of the woods behind him. A flock of Noibat followed, and they were ripped through by a dazzling gleam from Hope.

With the woods behind them, they pressed on to the mountains. The cries of angry Weavile filled their ears as they gave chase after them. A pack of Mighteyena and Liepard flocked towards them on the ground below, their attacks falling too short of their targets as the dragons rose higher into the air.

The only problem here was they couldn't get close enough themselves to deal with the pack. As they flew over them, they gave chase on the ground, ready to meet them when they landed.

"They won't give up chasing us. What do we do?" Cleo asked.

"We deal with it when we land," said Reshiram. "We need to get to whoever is carrying that cocoon and stop them delivering it. That is our priority."

The mountains loomed closer, cast in shadows by large outcrops and trees that seemed as old as the mountains. The shadows on the knotted trunks looked like leering faces, the gnarled branches like claws. From them flew Murkrow joined by three Mandibuzz. The branches themselves seemed to launch dark attacks at the flying Pokemon. Cleo was too distracted with fending off one of the Mandibuzz as she went for her ears to focus on who was firing the attacks.

She raised her paws and tried another disarming voice, but the Mandibuzz's beak fastened around her ear. A sharp yell filled her ears as the large buzzard fell away from her towards the ground. Her wings were plastered to her side by a thick layer of slime.

Cleo looked back at the Goodra who gave a sigh of relief. "Thanks!"

Slip wiped a paw across her mouth and smiled.

The rest of the flock was engulfed in electricity, their spasming bodies plummeting to the ground.

Spark waved a tiny fist from her perch on Reshiram's head. "And stay down!"

As they passed the gnarled trees, Cleo spotted the culprits of the dark attacks. Little Vullaby hopped in the branches, screeching angrily at them as they flew away towards the dark forms in the distance.

Gathered on the mountain's peak stood a massive army. The large forms of Haxorus and Garchomp could be made out, towering over the smaller Pokemon. Hovering above them was the unmistakable form of Hydreigon, his attention fixed on something flying towards him.

Drawing closer and closer to the foul dragon was a flock of Murkrow and Noivern, and below them swung a misshapen form hanging on thick ropes. It seemed to glow with a dim, red light and a dark, murky shadow dwelled within it.

Reshiram's tail flared behind him and he surged forwards. In an instant, hundreds of eyes locked onto the flying army. The white dragon opened his mouth, breathing flames on the Pokemon that flew at them. Ripwing and Starshine screamed their hyper voices and a dazzling array of fairy attacks exploded in the mass of black and purple wings. Cleo looked back over her shoulder and her eyes widened slowly. Flying behind them, sending their own attacks into the growing melee, were countless large winged Pokemon amongst which were Togekiss, Talonflame, Pidgeot and Swanna. They soared over them, meeting the onslaught of winged Pokemon that rose up to counter them. Cleo's heart hit her throat as two massive Druddigon cut through the Murkrow and Noibat and lashed out at the flying Pokemon. The Togekiss were completely unfazed, but one of the Talonflame let out a screech as claws cut through his torso. He went spinning towards the ground, his riders screaming as they were dragged down with him. The Togekiss struck the Druddigon duo with a dazzling gleam and the two dragons were knocked off balance and plummeted downwards.

"We need to start heading down!" Reshiram bellowed. "The Togekiss will deal with this lot. Split up! Drag them away into smaller numbers!"  
Ripwing and Mossfly went in separate directions, each one followed by the new members to their army. Cleo saw the ribbon-like tails of two Articuno flow past her as they followed after the Flygon, each of them with their own passengers – a pair of Cubchoo, a Snorunt and a Glaceon. Cleo swallowed drily. She hadn't heard of or seen any of those Pokemon in years.

Reshiram surged towards the ground, his mouth open in a roar as they cut through a disoriented flock of Noibat. A Druddigon bolted towards them and Cleo had to think fast as she unfurled her ears and struck him head on with a disarming voice. She watched his spiralling body seemingly stuck in the air as Reshiram flew past him like a dart. A torrent of flames erupted on the ground, scattering the Poochyena and Liepard in all directions and singeing their tails. Cleo felt the heat lick at her fur as he flew over it and landed on one of the mountain's many outcrops.

Fraxure, Haxorus and Garchomp leered around the gnarled trees at them and Cleo felt her heart pick up pace and her entire body prickle as her fur stood on end. They surrounded them. Shrill caws and screeches filled the branches of the trees.

Faith clambered off Reshiram's back and Cleo hopped down beside her. There was a blinding flash as the Mawile took on her mega form and Reshiram opened his mouth in another deafening roar, his tail erupting into flame. The enemy dragons rushed them, their cries filling the air. Faith span into the fray, striking them with her dual horns and slinging them over her head. Before she knew it, Cleo was in the thick of the battle, following Faith through the melee of fangs and claws.

...

Tinker spun in circles, firing kicks and punches at the pack of Weavile and Sneasel. They were quick, darting around him with nimble movements that were almost impossible to see. Pain seared through his shoulder as he received yet another slash he hadn't prepared for. The string holding the everstone around his neck snapped under their claws and it hit the floor with a thud, rolling out of reach to land at the base of a tree.

A scream tore the air and ripped through the middle of the pack, blowing many of them back with the impact. The Weavile's wicked red eyes snapped to the Altaria bobbing gracefully in the air. Starshine's mouth opened for another hyper voice, but he was cut short as a rain of icicles crashed down on top of him, pinning him to the ground. His mega form seemed to shatter away from him as one of the large icicles bounced off his back.

"Starshine!"

"Dad!" The Altaria struggled against the ice, his fluffy wings flailing under the weight of the icicles. "I'm stuck!"

Tinker ran to his side and screeched to a halt as two of the Weavile cut in front of him. A clawed fist struck him in the jaw and he went rolling backwards. He struck his paw onto the ground and flipped himself back onto his feet, then spun in an arc to bring his flaming foot down onto the head of the Weavile. The slender Pokemon fell back from him and collapsed into a heap.

Air surged through the pack, blowing the small, weasel-like Pokemon away from him. The beating of wings thrummed in his ears and he looked up to see what Pokemon had leapt to his aid.

His heart froze in his chest and his jaw dropped.

The Pokemon hovering above him was definitely no friend. Anger flared in his veins as he flashed his canines at the Honchkrow.

Yurlik chortled at the Riolu's face and dropped from the sky. He dodged Tinker's kick, throwing him off balance. Sharp claws grabbed at his shoulders and he was forced onto his back into the dirt. Yurlik looked up at the Weavile and hissed.

"This one's mine!"  
The Weavile and Sneasel bristled and turned away, occupying themselves with the other warring Outcasts and fairies.

Yurlik fixed his red eyes onto Tinker's and grinned.

"Well, well, well. Never thought I'd see you again, _runt_." He laughed and looked over at the discarded everstone. "One would think you'd evolve in that battle, since they're all much more adept than you are."

Tinker's blood boiled and he gripped the Honchrow's claws, straining to pry them free.

"You don't even need it, do you?" Yurlik laughed. He inclined his head on one side and examined Tinker's face. "You just wear it to cover the real reason you won't evolve, don't you?"  
"No! Dad! _Get off him_!"

Starshine writhed under the ice and opened his beak. A dull scream rose in his throat.

Yurlik hissed again and waved a wing at him. "Stop it, fool!"

Starshine let out a gasp as his attack was cut off. The Honckrow followed up with a dark pulse from his beak and struck the Altaria square in the face. Tinker could only watch as Starshine squealed and collapsed to the floor. Yurlik's hideous face filled his vision as he loomed over him, his beak twisted into a sneer.

"I think I know the reason. You're _depressed_." He chuckled and shook his head slowly. "Hmm... I wonder who caused that?"

Tinker wriggled under his grip but Yurlik only tightened his claws, digging them into his shoulders and causing him to let out a howl as they broke through his skin.

"Now... I think this time I'll finish you off. Slowly. But first, I'll claim your other eye. No point just keeping one, now, is there?"  
Tinker flinched back as the Honchkrow lowered his beak to his face. His heart pounded against his ribs, and he closed his eyes as he tried to summon the strength to throw the heavy bird off him.

A sick crunch was followed by a gasp from the Honchkrow and he fell sideways off him. Heat blazed where he'd been standing, and as Tinker opened his eyes, the form of a Blaziken stood over him, his eyes locked on the smouldering bird. At least... it looked like a Blaziken. The feathers on his head were upright, and flames danced around his wrists.

"You have too much pride, Honchkrow. You should talk less." He looked down at Tinker. "You all right, boy?"

Tinker stared, open-mouthed at the Blaziken. It couldn't be his father? Seven years...

"You!" Yurlik pushed himself up, his beak hanging open as he gasped for breath. "You... you're _alive_?!"

He threw his head back and let out a loud, screeching caw. A series of shrill caws reached their ears as the Murkrow flooded through the battle towards them.

Blue flames tore through the sky, and the small birds dropped like flies onto the battlefield. Tinker stood up and turned his eyes to the sky, transfixed by the swift, dark, winged form flapping above them as it wiped out the Murkrow. As the last one fell, it turned and span down towards them, snatching Yurlik in its claws. The Honchkrow was spun in the air and sent crashing back down with a tremendous crash. His body lay twisted and his head lolled at an uncomfortable angle with blood trickling from his open beak.

"Oi, Altaria!" The black, winged Pokemon looked down at Starshine. "Use protect!"

A torrent of blue flames flew from his mouth, melting the ice away from Starshine. He offered a paw and helped the Altaria to his feet, then landed beside the Blaziken and grinned at Tinker.

He resembled a Charizard, but something was different. Even though he wasn't breathing fire, blue flames still danced around his jaws.

"So this is your son, eh?"

The Blaziken nodded and smiled at Tinker.

"This is your dad?" Starshine's small voice was almost drowned out by the battle.

His dad... Krayne... where had he been for seven years?

The Charizard roared, flames rushing from his mouth to engulf Weavile as they jumped out from the melee.

"Well, there's no time for fluffy re-unions yet!" he said. "Let's finish this mess and then we can play catch-up."

The ground surged as the mountain shook, and Tinker's arms flailed as he tried to keep his balance. Their eyes trailed to the flat top of the mountain. A chill washed over him and he fell back into the Blaziken. The massive cocoon the Murkrow and Noivern had been carrying stood before the massive Hydreigon. Streams of dark energy flew from his mouth, striking the shell of the cocoon.

"Oh, this ain't good!" Smoke spouted from the Charizard's nostrils and he struck the ground with his tail. He charged off into the crowd, spitting blue flames and lashing out with his claws and tail.

Krayne looked down at Tinker. "Join us in this battle, son?"  
Tinker turned to Starshine. "Can you still fight?"  
Starshine raised his head and nodded. He looked up at the Blaziken. "We're with you... grandpa."

Kraye smiled and gave Tinker a pat on the back before running after his friend.

Tinker let out a small sigh of relief and hopped onto Starshine's back. A flash engulfed the Altaria as he took on his mega form once more, and he flew after the Charizard and Blaziken, screaming his hyper voice into the chaos below.

...

Enigma raised his paws to shield himself from another dark pulse. His eyes went to Hydreigon and he grit his teeth in a snarl. Each attack the foul dragon threw at that cocoon shook it ominously. A growing dread spread over him as he realised how close that dragon was to releasing Yveltal from within.

"Don't just stand there, Enigma!" Harlequin fired a disarming voice at the gang of Scrafty and glanced up at him. "We need to fight our way through if we're going to stop him!"

Enigma gave himself a small shake and turned his attention back to the Scrafty. His mega form made him feel a lot faster. Several of the hoodlum Pokemon were caught with a will-o-wisp as soon as the attack left his claws. They swiped at the burns with their paws giving Harlequin enough time to pick them off with another disarming voice.

Enigma struck them with a dazzling gleam then looked back up at Hydreigon. If he could only get closer... he vanished into the ground and popped up behind the Scrafty gang, beating them in the back with his claws before engulfing them in another pool of sparkling, purple light.

Harlequin sprinted towards him, hopping over the fallen body of a Scrafty. He turned and ran past a group of warring Pangoro and Granbull, focusing all his attention on stopping Hydreigon from breaking that cocoon.

A shrill scream froze him in his tracks and he span on the spot. He felt his eyes widen and his blood turn cold. One of the Scrafty stood over Harlequin's motionless body, fixing Enigma with a menacing grin.

His heart beat fiercely against his ribs. In a flash, he was in front of the Scrafty, and he flew back from him in a streak of sparkling light, his body rolling across the floor to join the rest of the gang.

A loud scream ebbed away and Enigma realised it had been his own. He fell to his knees beside Harlequin and scooped her up in his arms.

"Harle... are you-?"

She flopped lifelessly against him and his heart froze.

"No..." He hugged her to his chest and stared blankly at the floor as all strength seemed to leave his body.

Not again...

This couldn't be happening.

"Don't leave me, Harle. _Please_."

Tears leaked out of his eyes and a hollow emptiness flowed through him.

Harlequin was gone.

He was alone.

He opened his mouth in a bitter scream, clutching Harlequin's small body tightly to his chest. The roars and sneers that filled his mind seemed to be mocking him. The pathetic ghost with no family and one friend who'd lost her life in a battle, and he couldn't even help her.

Something brushed against his shoulder, shattering the shadow around him like glass. He looked up into Faith's violet eyes. She was breathing heavily, but the look of concern behind them was as clear as day.

His grip on Harlequin lessened and he looked around at the fallen bodies of dragon and dark Pokemon – Liepard, Mighteyena and Gabite amongst others. His breathing began to level out as he realised what had happened.

The Darkness had taken advantage of his weakened state while he screamed over Harlequin's death, and Faith had stopped them.

If it weren't for Faith, he'd be dead.

He wasn't alone.

He was never alone.

That hollow feeling was washed away as he remembered what they were fighting for.

He gave Harlequin one last squeeze and nuzzled her head before lying her gently on the ground. He whisked a paw across his eyes to wipe away the fresh tears and rose back to his feet.

"I'm sorry, Enigma." Faith's warm paw closed over his. "We need to keep fighting, otherwise her death will be pointless."

...

Another shudder shook the ground as Hydreigon struck the cocoon again and again. The sky seemed to grow a deeper shade of red by the second.

Mischief stood close to Cleo's side as they made their way through the chaos. Spark sprinted ahead, using her small form to her advantage as she fired off electrical attacks and struck out with play rough to clear the way, while Cleo picked off those still left standing. Mischief had been anxious about fighting in such close proximity to their allies, and she'd agreed with him.

Their plan now was to get as close to Hydreigon as they could, then he'd be able to fight. Hopefully he'd attack Hydreigon and she could let him off his leash.

The problem was, no matter how much closer they got, it still seemed miles away. The battlefield seemed immense, and dodging attacks and flailing bodies only added to the struggle.

Noibat and Noivern swarmed over them, their loud boomburst shaking up the Pokemon below. Cleo clasped her paws over her ears and flinched back, but the lack of focus behind their attack made it feel weaker than it should have. Spark aimed her discharge at the flock of bats, skimming Cleo's fur and engulfing the flock in electricity. Many fell to the floor, while those that remained flew in circles as static danced over their fur. In an instant, Cleo and her friends were lost in the chaos and the flock of bats changed their target.

The ground surged and Cleo wobbled, falling into the back of a Garchomp. He span and lashed her with his claws, raking deep wounds across her shoulders. Mischief charged at him, knocking him off balance and striking him in the gut with an energy ball. The disoriented dragon let out a yell of surprise as an Azumaril struck him in the head with an aqua jet and he was sent sprawling onto the floor to be trampled by his battling allies.

"Are you okay?"

Spark's voice was drowned out by the roaring voices around them, and the effects of boomburst were still ringing in Cleo's ears. She gave the Dedenne a nod and Spark turned and hopped away into the melee.

Cleo dragged herself after her, flinching at the pain in her shoulders. She couldn't let it stop her. They were getting closer, and any moment now she would be able to let Mischief go.

A Haxorus tumbled backwards and crashed into her, and she found herself crushed beneath his massive, lifeless body. With a groan, she let her ears unfurl and lifted it off her in a bubble of psychic energy, launching it into a pack of Bagon and Gible, and scattering the smaller dragons as they scurried to avoid the falling body.

She pushed herself up, her body screaming as pain seared through her shoulders. When she opened her eyes, she found Mischief crouching beside her, his lips moving as he tried to speak to her. She strained to hear what he was saying, but it was no use. There was too much noise, and her ears were still ringing.

"I'm going to have to let you off." Her voice sounded muffled out even to her. She reached for the bracelet and it snapped free under her paw.

Mischief shook his head, his eyes flitting left and right as he looked over the fighting Pokemon. Cleo bounced back a charging Krookodile with a disarming voice before it even had chance to open its jaws.

"We'll have a bigger chance of getting to him if you're free," she said. "Go. I'll keep up with you."

Mischief grimaced and moved away from her, charging through the chaos after Spark.

Each movement hurt, and Cleo clutched her paws to her stomach to stop her arms from swinging. Bumping bodies and glancing attacks only added to the pain.

The ground lurched again, throwing her off her feet. Pokemon fell down around her and all eyes went to the mountain top.

Her heart flipped into her throat. She hadn't been aware how close they now were. She could make out Hydreigon's eyes and wicked grin, almost see the scales covering his body. Cracks spread across the cocoon, criss-crossing across the surface. An eerie black light seeped from between them with a shrill whistle that brought the crowd into silence.

The eerie light intensified and the cocoon shattered, exploding and sending shards bouncing across the rocks and striking any Pokemon standing too close. The Murkrow and Noivern scattered, spiralling in the air and screeching with surprise.

The black light ebbed away and sitting where the cocoon once stood was the hunched up form of a red and black bird. Its chin was pressed to its chest, and its wings were held close to its body. It didn't move, speak, or even twitch. Cleo began to wonder if it was even alive.

"Yveltal!" Hydreigon roared. "I've awakened you! Together, we can rule this world in darkness!"

Yveltal's head snapped round to look at Hydreigon. Yelps spread through the Pokemon flying over head, scattering them into the trees. His wings jerked as he spread them wide and he opened his beak in a scream. A red and black beam fired from his mouth, striking Hydreigon in the chest. The black dragon's body froze in mid air as the beam pulsed like a heartbeat. The attack stopped with as much abruptness as it had started. All colour gradually left Hydreigon's body from his tail to his head, turning him into a stony grey. He fell from the sky, his body smashing into the rocks and shattering into rubble. Smaller pieces bounced down the mountain side, the clattering sound breaking the sudden silence.

Yveltal's eyes snapped onto the crowd of Pokemon. He wings jerked out to the side and another beam flew from his mouth. Any Pokemon caught in it froze like a statue.

Screams spread through the crowd and once again it was in chaos. Pokemon turned and fled, trampling over those smaller than them in a desperate bid to escape the devastating attack. The bolder ones turned and aimed their own attacks at Yveltal – and not just their allies. Those that had followed Hydreigon tried just as desperately to stop the vicious bird.

Mischief pulled Cleo to her feet, his eyes locked on Yveltal. His mouth was open as he took in the terrible chaos. Stone statues stood where Pokemon once had, and more Pokemon were locked in the beam as it spread across the crowd. He was knocked sideways as several of the fighters gave up and fled from the deadly beam.

"Why are they running?" he asked. "We need to stop him!"

He released her paw and moved towards Yveltal, his eyes not leaving the bird.

"No." She reached out to him. "Mischief! If you get caught in that beam -"

He balled his paws into fists and looked back at her. "We need to fight, Cleo. It's what we came here for!"

She looked up at the massive bird, watching as his beam claimed more and more Pokemon – dark, fighting, flying, water, ice, dragon... he didn't care. It didn't matter what type they were.

He was going to kill them all.

"You're right..." She clenched her fist, trying to calm her racing heart. She couldn't go into this carelessly. "You're right! We need to fight him!"

"Then let's do it."

Cleo looked round and her eyes widened. Standing beside her was Meredith, clutching his flaming branch in his paw. Beside him flew Starshine with Tinker on his back, accompanied by a Blaziken and a Charizard spouting blue flames.

"We're all together in this battle now," said the Blaziken. "It doesn't matter if your fire, dark or dragon."

"Exactly. We're fighting the same war," said Meredith.

Cleo looked around at the group, then her eyes fell on Faith shouting encouragements to another group of Pokemon with Enigma. Amongst them were yet more Pokemon including familiar faces – Old Red, Mulch, Sandpaw, Scout, Scratch and Claw. A Liepard stood beside Scout, his eyes locked on Yveltal, and behind him were other dark Pokemon.

Those at the front of the fray trying to avoid the beam began retaliating with their own attacks. Many of them missed their mark only to be engulfed in that wretched beam. Reshiram swooped above them, trying to reach Yveltal with his flames, but the white dragon couldn't get close enough.

"What do we do?" Cleo asked.

"We've not got much choice," said the Charizard. "We charge."

Cleo unfurled her ears and sent out a disarming voice. It fell short of her target, but the others took this cue to join her and the Pokemon ran forwards towards Yveltal. Attacks mixed together, striking the bird on his wings and chest. The beam attack stopped as he rose up into the air, scanning over the crowd as he took in what was going on. He let out a screech as the beam attack struck the centre of the group, freezing Meredith and several others before spreading out across them.

Mischief struck out with a dazzling gleam, glancing Yveltal on his wings. The beam passed over him and his body locked up until it passed away to spread over the Sneasel stood beside him.

"Mischief!"

Cleo leapt forwards to catch Mischief's falling body. Her vision turned red and she felt her strength being sucked out of her. It was as though she was suspended in an endless void and once the red went away, she fell hard onto her back.

She opened her eyes and found Mischief sprawled on top of her. He turned his head stiffly to meet her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Cleo," he said.

She looked away from his eyes to his body. That pale grey colour spread up his legs and turned the fluffy white fur of his back into a lumpy stone.  
All sensation left her own legs and she had no strength to push herself up.

It couldn't be over. It couldn't end like this.

She raised a heavy paw and pressed it over her eyes. She couldn't watch.

Screams, yells, shouts and thuds filled her ears as Pokemon fell around her. The sound of various attacks split the air, growing less in number as those that fired them fell to that awful beam.

This couldn't be happening.

_Thud._

They couldn't lose.

_Thud._

This war had to end!

_Thud._

They needed Xerneas!

She opened her eyes once more. Bounding past her went the colours of the rainbow, leaving behind it a trail of tiny flowers running in a zig-zag path through the battlefield wherever the colourful light landed. It rose up gracefully past the red and black beam and struck Yveltal square in the chest. The beam flickered out as Yveltal yelped and fell to the ground amongst the brilliant colours.

The rainbow light faded away, and stood amongst them with his antlers pressed into Yvelta's chest was Xerneas.

"Yveltal," he said. "You've lost."

Yveltal opened his mouth and gave a chilling, terrible scream that made Cleo's fur stand on end.

Xerneas flicked his head back, and the scream came to a sharp stop.

Deafening silence.

Then the ground shook, followed by the distant rumble of water rushing in the distance.

Cleo couldn't see what the source of that water was, but she felt it flow over her in a refreshing wave. All she remembered seeing was a blinding flash of light, and rainbow petals falling around them like confetti.

...

**Please R&amp;R! =D Last chapter goes up on Friday!**


	70. The Beginning

**A/N - The final chapter! Here it is! =D**

**I hope you enjoy this =) and thank you so much to all who reviewed, followed, PM'd me, and those who read silently. You are all awesome! =D**

**Also, I have edited and updated chapter 55 with the battle between Tyrix and the Wildfires. If you want to check it out, feel free =) I'm aware it was rather underwhelming. I'm hoping it's improved somewhat. Thanks for pointing it out =D I appreciate constructive criticism. It's how writers grow!**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Pokemon or any of its critters!**

70 – The Beginning

Soft, lush grass brushed over Cleo's fur as she stretched. She opened her eyes and was blinded by the bright sunlight. Rubbing a paw over them, she pushed herself up and yawned. It felt like she'd just woken up from a long sleep, and that the immense fight was nothing more than a highly detailed dream.

She blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the daylight and let out a small gasp. They were no longer in the mountains. Instead, they were surrounded by lush fields and meadows, rolling hills, sparkling lakes and rivers, moors abundant with colourful heather and orchards heaping with berries. Soft singing reached her ears and she turned her eyes to the sky. What had looked like fluffy white clouds were actually flocks of Altaria soaring above them, twirling and dancing in the air.

Dotted about them were countless other Pokemon. Hoppip and Cottonee bobbed about on the breeze, flocks of Mareep and Flaafy lay sprawled in the fields talking merrily. Azurill and Marill played by the lake.

She rubbed her eyes again. "The Fairy Garden..."

"You're awake!"

She looked up into the smiling face of Faith. Beside her stood Spark with a berry clutched in her tiny paws.

Cleo blinked at her. "We're back in the Fairy Garden."

Faith nodded. "Uhuh!"  
Cleo followed her gaze behind her. The Pokemon that had joined them in battle were lay on the grass as though they were sleeping. Some of them had woken up and were staring in a amazement at their surroundings. Amongst them moved Xerneas, nudging each of them with his nose and leaving behind him a trail of tiny, colourful flowers.

A fluffy head rose up from the grass, blinking a pair of orange eyes.

"Mischief!"

Cleo stood and ran over to him. He stretched and yawned before fixing one eye on her.

"Oh... Cleo." He looked past her and he smiled. "And Faith! Hi! Oh, and Spark too!"  
"We're back in the Fairy Garden," Cleo told him.

He looked around, rubbing his head with a paw. "Oh! When did this happen?"  
"Xerneas brought us back here," said Faith. "After the battle ended."

"So it's over?" asked Spark. "The war, I mean?"

Faith nodded. "Yup! Follow me, you'll want to see this!"

Cleo offered Mischief a paw and pulled him to his feet. They ran off after the Mawile as she zipped over the grass. Cleo was amazed at how easy it was to follow her. Every single wound she'd taken during that battle was miraculously gone. She felt energized, awake, refreshed. No pain in her shoulders, no ringing in her ears.

Faith came to a stop on top of a tall hill. A river gurgled down the side of it, joining a lake a couple of miles away. She gave Cleo a smile and stretched out a claw.

"Look!"

Cleo followed her gaze. Mountains rose in the far distance. Just mountains, as clear as day against the bright sky. It was dotted with green which eventually joined the ground below where it spread out into fields, later joining a massive woodland.

"Do you recognise it?" Faith asked.

Cleo shook her head. "No. Is it part of the Fairy Garden?"  
Faith chuckled. "It used to be the Shadow Lands."

Cleo let out a yell of surprise and covered her mouth with her paws. It looked completely different. The sun shone brightly above it, its rays reaching down and submerging it in light. The sky was no longer dark and gloomy. No sense of eeriness, no Murkrow flocking the skies. No castle. It had been completely transformed, as though the light cascading down on it had washed any lingering sense of darkness away.

Mischief shuffled next to her. "That was really the Shadow Lands?"

Faith nodded. "Yes. And now it's safe. No more Darkness."

Cleo narrowed her eyes at something glimmering beyond the woods, gathering into a shimmering pool at the foot of the mountain. "Is that a river?"  
"Yes. After Yveltal was destroyed, rivers burst forth from the Silent Mountains to flow into the purified land."

Cleo blinked a few times as she took this in. Rivers flowing through the Border Woods towards those mountains... It was really over... the Shadow Lands were gone.

No more Darkness.

"I can't believe it," said Cleo. "This war has been going on since I was a hatchling... and now it's over." She looked over at Faith's smiling face. "It's like a massive weight has been lifted."

Faith reached over and gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Of course. You're free now." She chuckled and linked her paws behind her back. "I'm going to see who else is here! See you in the dinner hall!"

Cleo watched the Mawile skip away down the hill into the group of new Pokemon. For the first time, she took in who was amongst them. A few Sneasel and Weavile had been brought in, along with a couple of Purrloin.

"Cleo?"

She looked round at Mischief. He was staring down at the gathered Pokemon, but his mind seemed to be elsewhere.

"I feel different."

She raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"Like... well, I'm not dizzy any more." He gave her a sideways glance. "I think the Pokerus is gone."

Cleo smiled. "It sounds like it."  
He returned her smile and looked away from her. "I don't remember my family. To be honest, I'm not curious about my memories. You guys have been there for me, and I'm really grateful for that. Now that I'm here and I'm well and don't pose a risk to anyone, I think I might go and see if I can find some of my own kind."

"You never know," said Spark. "You might even find your family here."

"You never know." He gave her a small wave and moved down the hill. "I'll see you later?"

Cleo nodded. "See you later." She watched him move away out of sight then looked up at the rolling hills. "Maybe it was just the Pokerus."

"What was?"

She looked back down at Spark. The little Dedenne twitched her nose at her.

"Are you all right?" Spark asked.

All right... she thought about how she'd felt the first time she'd considered it was the Pokerus causing him to show any interest in her. But now, those feelings of sadness felt like a dream.

Washed away, along with her wounds.

She smiled. "Actually, yes. I'm fine."

She turned and looked out at the vibrant mountain and followed the woods out into the Rocky Plains. So much had changed since the day she first met Spark, and now they were still standing side by side, the war finally over.

"So, Spark." She looked down at her friend. "You've always been part fairy type."

"Yeh!" Spark chuckled and finished her berry. "Who would have guessed?!"  
Cleo laughed. "Not me. Well." She turned away from the scene and moved down the hillside. "Shall we see if we can find any of our new friends?"

"Yeh!" Spark licked her paws and followed after her. "Ooh! I wonder if there are any more Dedenne here? Or Meowstic?"

She took over Cleo and Cleo ran after her, their laughter rising into the air as they rushed to join their friends.

...

Enigma leant back against a thick tree, watching the children curiously as they greeted the young Altaria. He was stood beside his father and the Charizard and Blaziken, and his eyes lit up at the sight of his friends.

"Wow look at you!" Scout beamed up at Starshine. "You're all grown up now!"  
Starshine laughed and was about to say something, but was thrown off as Tad threw a heavy arm around his neck.

"Now ye back wi' us, we c'n start Team Heroes again!"

"And we've got a new member too!" Scout added. "A Liepard called Prance!"

Starshine raised an eyebrow. "Prance?"

"Yeh! He joined me and my mum on our way here! Said he was looking for the Fairy Garden after hearing about it."

Tad chuckled. "Team Heroes is growing!"

"But... It's not necessary. The war's over," said Starshine. "We don't need to keep fighting."

"The war might be over," said Krayne, "but there's still work to be done, lad."

Tinker looked up at the Blaziken. "What work?"

"There's Pokemon out there who still need help finding this place. You once hadn't heard of it, and there are some out there who still haven't heard of it."

The Charizard grinned down at him. "It's been our job for years to help those who are lost."

Tinker raised an eyebrow. "You've really been here this whole time?" he asked the Blaziken.

Krayne nodded. "Yes. Training alongside Etar." He nodded to the Charizard.

"Then why didn't you come back for me?" Tinker asked. "Or for Grey?"

"New City was in good paws with you," said Krayne.

Etar laughed. "You're not annoyed are you?"  
"I'm not annoyed," said Tinker. "But I have a lot of questions! Besides, what's going to happen to New City now? There's still a lot of Pokemon living there."

"Yes," said Starshine. "Like Uncle Skipper!"

"Nah, Uncle Skipper's here in th'Fairy Garden," said Tad. "But he did say somethin' 'bout wantin' t'go back t'New City t'gather 'is friends 'n' me ma."

"Well!" Etar grinned. "First, though, I think you both might benefit from some training. And you n'all, Tad."

Enigma grunted and shifted against the tree trunk. "Maybe you can evolve yourself now?" He said to the Riolu.

Tinker frowned. "I don't think I want to evolve."  
"But you have a mega evolution," said Etar. "As does Skipper."  
"What?" Tad's eyes widened. "Are ye sayin' I c'n mega evolve?"

"Wow!" Scout bounced up and down. "Can I too?!"

Etar rumbled laughter. "You kids are so full of energy." He turned back to Tinker. "We could train you how to use it like we did with Enigma." He nodded to the Banette.

Tinker stared at Enigma and his face turned thoughtful. "Really?"

Enigma chuckled and stood up. "You try and convince him. I'm going to take a small walk."  
He turned away from the Charizard and froze in his tracks. Staring back at him from above the long grass was a pair of blue eyes.

"Harlequin?"

The Zorua took a step towards him. A grin spread across her face and she threw herself at him, knocking him back against the tree.

"Argh!" She laughed. "You're here!"  
Enigma laughed and threw his arms around her. The overwhelming happiness caused his eyes to well up with tears. "I thought you were gone!"

"No. I'm here." She pulled back from him and smiled. "So, what do you think? Isn't this place amazing?"  
He released her and stood back, wiping a paw across his eyes. "It is." He paused and glanced back at Tinker and his family. "But I have to say, thinking of all those Pokemon out there who've never heard of this place..."

A paw crunched in the grass. "It's pretty sad, isn't it?"

Enigma's eyes went to the speaker, and Harlequin followed him. Her jaw dropped and she turned slowly to face the Absol and the two Pawniard.

"Harbie?"  
The Absol nodded.

A huge smile spread across the Zorua's face. "Harbie!" She rushed over to him and threw her paws around his neck. "You're alive!"

Harbinger nuzzled her neck and laughed. "Yes. Xerneas came to get me so I could help in the war. I'm so glad it's over now."

"Argh! I'm so happy! We're together again!" Harlequin bounced on her toes and hopped back from him. "And look at this place! We're finally free!"

Enigma felt a smile tug at his lips. Free. The war was over. He turned away from them and moved across the Fairy Garden. Pokemon played and laughed around him, chasing after friends old and new as they greeted the newcomers. But this wasn't everyone. New City, the Border Woods, other Outcast towns scattered across the region. All of them had Pokemon that needed to find this place.

"Enigma, wait!"

He looked back as Harlequin ran to catch up with him.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"I'm going out." He folded his paws behind his head and grinned. "There are other Pokemon who need to hear about this place. It's what Hope and Faith do, amongst others, right? They need help reaching those who are still lost."

"Well..." Harlequin shuffled her paws on the grass. "You don't want to go alone?"

Alone... the thought didn't cripple him any more, but still, there was something warm about travelling with a friend.

He chuckled and looked away from her. "No. How boring would that be?"

"Then I'll go with you." Harlequin grinned and looked back at Harbinger. "Harbie, are you coming?"  
Harbinger shrugged. "Sure. The Fairy Garden accepted me. If that will encourage others to find their place here, then count me in."

"Us too!" said Claw, with a salute.

Harlequin gave the Pawniard a smile. "But... are you sure you want to go already?" she asked Enigma.

Enigma smiled at her. "Do we really have time to waste?"  
"I guess not." She flashed him a grin. "Race you!"  
Enigma watched as Harlequin streaked off ahead of him. A light-hearted laugh came from Harbinger and he bounded after her, zigzagging across the grass with Scratch and Claw close to his tail. Enigma shook his head and chuckled. There was never a dull moment with Harlequin around. And now, seeing her laughing and playing like a hatchling, it was clear how much she'd changed.

Transformed, happy, bright-eyed.

He looked up at the sky, the rolling clouds letting the rays from the sun cascade down on them, spreading their warmth through his fur. He already couldn't wait for the day they'd walk back into the Fairy Garden with new friends eager to experience the joy it held.

He smiled and folded his paws behind his head, strolling after the playful Zorua and her friends.

...

"I can't believe it," Mint gasped. "It's gone!"  
Ripwing grunted as he cast his eyes over her. "The Pokerus is really gone?"

"It happened to Mischief too," said Cleo. "And Enigma."

The Salamence nodded and looked through the dining hall window at the gazebo in the abbey square. His eyes glazed over with thought.

"What's the matter?" Faith asked.

"Rio ran a lot of experiments with Pokerus," he explained. "As a result, many infected Pokemon are still out there."

"So... if we bring them back here..." Faith stared down at her plate and trailed off.

"We can do it," said Cleo. "We have experience with it. We know what to look for."  
"It's going to be dangerous." The warning note in Ripwing's voice didn't fall on deaf ears.

Cleo looked up at him and smiled. "But there's hope for them now. Pokerus isn't a death sentence any more."

Ripwing stared at her for a moment and nodded. "I understand. Right, then I'll help find them. If we split up into groups, our chance of success is increased."

"Oh good!" Faith clapped her paws together. "Helping other Pokemon! It's so rewarding when they find the Fairy Garden!"

Cleo looked out at the other Pokemon around the massive table. Tyrix sat opposite them talking with a Granbull couple. A few seats down were Mulch and Meredith talking with Old Red and Reshiram. So many familiar faces, yet there were still many Pokemon that needed to find the Fairy Garden.

She pushed herself back from the table. "I'm going to see if I can find any others who'd be willing to help us."

"Like who?" asked Spark.

Cleo looked from the Dedenne to Ripwing. "Like Ripwing said – if we break into groups then we have a higher chance of finding them. So... anyone."

"All right." Spark picked up a berry. "Want me to save you some berries for supper?"

Cleo shook her head. "I'm fine. You enjoy yourself."

She turned and skipped from the abbey, out into the garden. The sun was setting now. The sky was dusted with orange and yellow. Bright and cheerful as it set over the woods and mountains in the distance. Pokemon were still out and about, talking, playing, lying in the grass as they enjoyed the cool evening air.

A warm paw grabbed hers and she turned, meeting Mischief's orange eyes.

"I overheard you," he said. "You said you want to help the Pokemon that still have Pokerus. Right?"

She nodded. "Do you want to help us?"

He smiled. "Of course."

She returned his smile and he gave her paw a soft squeeze.

"After suffering with it like that," he said, "I want others who have it to be free and happy." He turned and looked out at the woods dyed an inky green against the setting sun. "They're still out there, lost, suffering and scared. The thing is, I know how it feels when you're scared of putting those you love in danger."

He caught her gaze and her paw tingled beneath his. He looked away from her again and his face set in determination.

"Our next big mission," he said, "is to bring them back here where they're safe."

Safe.

The war had ended, freeing the Pokemon from darkness. Those still out there needed to hear of that, and the more of them there were delivering that news, the faster the word would spread.

Something caught Cleo's eye and she looked up at the hills. Xerneas was standing like a silhouette against the twilight sky, watching for those who would be heading towards the Fairy Garden.

Yes. The war was over. Now was the beginning of something much greater.

...

**To those of you who stuck with this story through all 70 chapters, thank you! You guys rock! =D Will there be a sequel? I don't plan on it. I wanted to leave this open-ended to allow readers to use their imagination a bit. There is still work to be done for Cleo and her friends =) **

**I hope you enjoyed it! It's been an emotional roller-coaster. I've laughed, cried, and been excited by things happening I didn't initially plan! I can't believe it's all uploaded now. No more Monday and Friday updates! Well, there's another fanfiction on the way, the one-shots to occupy Wednesdays, and the comedy Pokemon fanfic which I hope to get back on track!**

**Thank you again! And as always, please R&amp;R! =D**


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